Those who fervently believed President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr.'s recent directive for the entire Cabinet to submit courtesy resignations will herald genuine changes in his administration have found themselves disappointed.
It now appears that the President's order, reportedly made under the shadow of the poor performance of his "Alyansa" team in the May 12 elections (both to pro-Duterte candidates and a rising "genuine opposition") was nothing more than an empty gesture.
For one, the President apparently maintained in his confidence two key Cabinet officials who have been blamed for economic policies that have proved to be a burden to the public, including the notorious imposition of the 12-percent value added tax on digital services.
Moreover, there is still no news on whether two secretaries who have won public approval for their handling of the country’s education and transportation sector will remain under the Marcos cabinet.
On the plus side, though, it should be noted that several sectors have hailed the appointment of a new leader of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), a leader whom they hope will undo the pro-oligarchy leanings of his predecessor and give more importance to preserving the country’s threatened environment. We note that the outgoing DENR secretary spent most of her time abroad attending international conferences rather than handling environmental problems in the country.
But on the overall picture, it’s clear that this “reset” has failed to placate an electorate that is still seething from the dismal performance of the country's economy, no matter how official statistics try to paint a glowing picture of a "Bagong Pilipinas" under the first three years of the Marcos administration.
The President should be reminded that the last time the government ordered mass resignations of its Cabinet – during the time of former President Gloria Arroyo – it only strengthened the resolve of the opposition, as many of the Cabinet members who were forced to leave later joined their side.
Will history repeat itself? This new episode of our country’s ongoing saga bears watching.
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