Latest news with #PhilippinesPolitics
Reuters
03-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Philippines keeps Cabinet mostly unchanged after 'bold reset' call
MANILA, June 3 (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has retained the majority of his Cabinet ministers, two weeks after requesting their resignations in what he called a "bold reset" of his administration, his executive secretary said on Tuesday. The call for "courtesy resignations" came in the wake of the disappointing performances by Marcos-backed candidates in the country's recent midterm elections. Speaking at a press briefing, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed that Marcos had decided to keep several key officials, including the secretaries of agriculture, education, labour, health, and social welfare. Marcos had earlier maintained his core economic team, along with the heads of the defense, justice, and interior departments. Bersamin also clarified that Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will remain in his role until Congress confirms his appointment as the Philippines' permanent representative to the United Nations. Manalo was initially expected to step down by July 31. Performance reviews for other senior officials, including undersecretaries, are still ongoing, Bersamin added. "If you are asking for blood, there will still be blood," he said, suggesting further changes could follow.
Arab News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Philippine president calls for all Cabinet secretaries to resign after election setbacks
MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked all of his Cabinet secretaries to submit resignations on Thursday in a 'bold reset' of his administration following last week's mid-term elections, which saw more opposition candidates win crucial Senate seats. Marcos, the 67-year-old son of a late Philippine dictator overthrown in 1986, won the presidency in the deeply divided Southeast Asian country by a landslide in 2022 in a stunning political comeback as he made a steadfast call for national unity. But his equally popular vice presidential running mate, Sara Duterte, later broke from him in a falling out that has sparked intense political discord. With support from treaty ally the United States and other friendly countries, Marcos emerged as the most vocal critic of China 's growing aggression in the disputed South China Sea while contending with an array of longstanding domestic issues, including inflation — and delayed fulfillment of a campaign promise to bring down the price of rice — as well as many reports of kidnappings and other crimes. 'This is not business as usual,' Marcos was cited as saying in a government statement. 'The people have spoken and they expect results — not politics, not excuses. We hear them and we will act.' Marcos called for the 'courtesy resignation of all Cabinet secretaries in a decisive move to recalibrate his administration following the results of the recent elections,' the government statement said. 'The request for courtesy resignations is aimed at giving the president the elbow room to evaluate the performance of each department and determine who will continue to serve in line with his administration's recalibrated priorities,' the government said. At least 21 Cabinet secretaries led by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin either immediately submitted their resignations or expressed their readiness to do so. 'This is not about personalities — it's about performance, alignment and urgency,' Marcos said. 'Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognized. But we cannot afford to be complacent. The time for comfort zones is over.' Government services will remain uninterrupted during the transition, the government said, adding that 'with this bold reset, the Marcos administration signals a new phase — sharper, faster and fully focused on the people's most pressing needs.' Five out of the 12 Senate seats contested in the mid-term elections were won by allies of Sara Duterte or her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been arrested and detained by the International Criminal Court in The Hague in the Netherlands. The elder Duterte, a staunch critic of Marcos, was accused of committing crimes against humanity over a brutal anti-drugs crackdown he launched that left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead. Marcos-endorsed senatorial candidates won five Senate seats while two other seats were unexpectedly won by two liberal democrats associated with the late former President Benigno Aquino III, whose family has long been at odds with the Marcoses. Voting for half of the 24-member Senate is crucial because the government body will hold an impeachment trial for Sara Duterte in July over an array of criminal allegations, including corruption and a public threat to assassinate Marcos, his wife and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. She made those threats in an online news conference in November but later issued a vague denial that she wanted the president killed. Sara Duterte is facing a separate criminal complaint for her threats against the Marcoses and Romualdez. Most of the seats in the House were won by candidates allied with Marcos and his cousin, Romualdez, in the May 12 elections, which many saw as a preview to the presidential elections scheduled for 2028.
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Philippine president calls for all Cabinet secretaries to resign after election setbacks
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked all of his Cabinet secretaries to submit resignations on Thursday in a 'bold reset' of his administration following last week's mid-term elections, which saw more opposition candidates win crucial Senate seats. Marcos, the 67-year-old son of a late Philippine dictator overthrown in 1986, won the presidency in the deeply divided Southeast Asian country by a landslide in 2022 in a stunning political comeback as he made a steadfast call for national unity. But his equally popular vice-presidential running mate, Sara Duterte, later broke from him in a falling out that has sparked intense political discord. With support from treaty ally the United States and other friendly countries, Marcos emerged as the most vocal critic of China 's growing aggression in the disputed South China Sea while contending with an array of longstanding domestic issues, including inflation — and delayed fulfillment of a campaign promise to bring down the price of rice — as well as many reports of kidnappings and other crimes. 'This is not business as usual,' Marcos was cited as saying in a government statement. 'The people have spoken and they expect results — not politics, not excuses. We hear them and we will act.' Marcos called for the 'courtesy resignation of all Cabinet secretaries in a decisive move to recalibrate his administration following the results of the recent elections,' the government statement said. 'The request for courtesy resignations is aimed at giving the president the elbow room to evaluate the performance of each department and determine who will continue to serve in line with his administration's recalibrated priorities,' the government said. At least 21 Cabinet secretaries led by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin either immediately submitted their resignations or expressed their readiness to do so. 'This is not about personalities — it's about performance, alignment and urgency,' Marcos said. 'Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognized. But we cannot afford to be complacent. The time for comfort zones is over.' Government services will remain uninterrupted during the transition, the government said, adding that 'with this bold reset, the Marcos administration signals a new phase — sharper, faster and fully focused on the people's most pressing needs.' Five out of the 12 Senate seats contested in the mid-term elections were won by allies of Sara Duterte or her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been arrested and detained by the International Criminal Court in The Hague in the Netherlands. The elder Duterte, a staunch critic of Marcos, was accused of committing crimes against humanity over a brutal anti-drugs crackdown he launched that left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead. Marcos-endorsed senatorial candidates won five Senate seats while two other seats were unexpectedly won by two liberal democrats associated with the late former President Benigno Aquino III, whose family has long been at odds with the Marcoses. Voting for half of the 24-member Senate is crucial because the government body will hold an impeachment trial for Sara Duterte in July over an array of criminal allegations, including corruption and a public threat to assassinate Marcos, his wife and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. She made those threats in an online news conference in November but later issued a vague denial that she wanted the president killed. Sara Duterte is facing a separate criminal complaint for her threats against the Marcoses and Romualdez. Most of the seats in the House were won by candidates allied with Marcos and his cousin, Romualdez, in the May 12 elections, which many saw as a preview to the presidential elections scheduled for 2028.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Philippines Senate race a blow to President Marcos as he feuds with Vice President Duterte
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Key allies of detained former President Rodrigo Duterte and two liberal opposition candidates were among top winners in the May 12 Senate race in the Philippines, according to official results released Friday by the Election Commission. The midterm election outcome provided unexpectedly strong backing for Duterte and boosted his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, ahead of her impeachment trial in the Senate in July. The election also was a blow to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration, whose candidates did not do as well as expected in midterm polls when the president's influence is usually strong, analysts said. Five of the 12 Senate race winners were endorsed by Sara Duterte, including the president's sister, Imee Marcos, and Camille Villar, another Marcos alliance candidate from a wealthy political family. Five others were aligned with Marcos, while two surprise winners were from the opposition. Two Duterte allies were among the top five. Christopher Go, a former Cabinet member under the elder Duterte, led the Senate winners with more than 27 million votes. Ronald dela Rosa, Duterte's first national police chief and executor of his deadly anti-drugs campaign, ranked third. Erwin Tulfo, a news anchor and candidate from the Marcos slate who was topping pre-election surveys, only managed fourth place. Two opposition members, Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan, took second and fifth place, respectively. The election results reflected 'a vote against the administration," political analyst Ronald Llamas said, adding that it wasn't a vote for the Dutertes because many anti-Duterte candidates also won, including in the lower house of Congress. 'It's a plebiscite on the president, it's a referendum on the government and it looks like they lost there,' Llamas said. Marcos teamed with Sara Duterte to win the 2022 general elections, but their partnership soured over political differences that led to her impeachment in February and her father's subsequent arrest and handover to the ICC. Marcos can't seek re-election as the president is limited to a single six-year term. Sara Duterte is seen as a strong presidential candidate for 2028 elections but will be barred from office for life if convicted by the Senate. She was impeached on a raft of charges including alleged misuse of public funds and plotting to assassinate Marcos. She had said the impeachment was a political assassination. To be acquitted, she needs the votes of at least nine of 24 senators. At least two other senators who were not part of the elections were seen as supporters of the vice president. Other senators may support her acquittal depending on public opinion during the trial, political pressure from the administration and perceived political benefits, Llamas said. 'Definitely Sara gained in the election in her fight against impeachment,' Llamas said. 'The impeachment will be uphill but not impossible.' Rodrigo Duterte was elected as mayor of Davao City, his stronghold, with a landslide despite being detained thousands of miles away in the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, since March. He is awaiting trial for crimes against humanity related to his war on illegal drugs that left thousands of suspects dead during his presidency from 2016 to 2022. Under Philippine law, candidates facing criminal charges, including those in detention, can run for office unless they have been convicted and have exhausted all appeals. Kristina Conti, an assistant to counsel at the ICC, has said the court also is investigating Dela Rosa and Go for their role in the drug war.
Russia Today
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Duterte wins mayoral election despite being jailed in The Hague
Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has won a mayoral race in his home city, according to unofficial election results released on Tuesday. The apparent win comes even as he remains in custody at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, facing charges of crimes against humanity. Duterte, 80, was arrested by Philippine authorities at Manila's international airport in March and flown to The Hague, where he is facing trial over his 'war on drugs' policy. Under Philippine law, candidates facing criminal charges may run for office unless convicted and all appeals have been exhausted. Preliminary results showed Duterte had secured more than half a million votes in Davao City – nearly eight times more than his nearest rival. He served as the city's mayor for two decades before winning the presidency in 2016. Official results are expected within a week. 'Duterte landslide in Davao!' his youngest daughter Veronica posted on Facebook. The 'overwhelming' support Duterte received shows the public's 'total rejection' of efforts to 'attempt to stamp out' his legacy, his lawyer said, as quoted by ABS-CBN news agency. Supporters reportedly chanted his name as early tallies were announced. The ICC alleges that from 2016 to 2022, Duterte oversaw 'death squads' responsible for killing suspected drug dealers and users. He has denied wrongdoing but admitted the crackdown was violent. Government records show at least 6,200 people were killed in police operations. Rights groups say the real toll could be far higher. Some human rights advocates have called Duterte's arrest illegal, noting the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019 on his orders. The court argues it retains jurisdiction over crimes committed while the country was still a member. His lawyers have filed a petition accusing the Philippine government of 'kidnapping' and say the extradition violated both domestic and international law. Vice President Sara Duterte, his eldest daughter, told reporters after voting this week that she was in talks with her father's lawyers about how he might take his oath as mayor while in detention. She is widely seen as a leading contender for the 2028 presidential race, despite an impending Senate impeachment trial in July.
