Overkill?

The recent directive of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. for his entire Cabinet to submit their courtesy resignations has sparked countless speculations as to the real reason behind this move.

But here’s the thing: does the President really have to ax his entire team just to make up for the “dismal” performance of his Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas in the May 12 midterm elections?

‘Reset’

Officially, Malacañan Palace officials described President Marcos' directive as a reset, a chance to “recalibrate his administration” following the results of the May 12 polls.

"This is not business as usual," Marcos said, as quoted by Malacañang in a news release Thursday, May 22.

"It’s time to realign government with the people’s expectations," the President added.

Palace officials said the bold move would give 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."

Those who are aware of the practical side of governance are correct in pointing out that since every cabinet member serves at the pleasure of the President, it just would need a telephone call or a memo to inform them that they are being replaced. In the past, the Palace did not even give the sitting officials the courtesy of a please-vacate notice.

So why the need for a universal order of resignations?

The answer is that President Bongbong finally realized that some of his closest people are a liability to the administration, and they needed to go. He is just so “pusong mamon” to tell them to their faces that their feces stink, and so, please leave the room.

Political analyst Toto Causing identified two of these officials as SAP Anton Lagdameo and Peace Process and Reconciliation Secretary Carlito Galvez, who are allegedly remiss in handling matters in Muslim Mindanao and in the whole of southern Philippines itself.

Columnist Ramon Tulfo, for his part, believes that Bongbong is about to show the door to ES Lucas Bersamin.

The early announcement by the Palace on the retention of several resigned cabinet secretaries somewhat gave credence to the above conjectures, which Opinyon shares.

The first batch of retained officials include Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go.

Business as usual

Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said the directive will not halt or cause delays in government operations.

“Maliwanag din po ang sinabi ng Pangulo, hindi po maaapektuhan kung anuman po ang pending at existing projects habang ito ay may transition. At tuluy-tuloy lamang po ang pagtatrabaho ng mga Cabinet secretaries at ng mga tao sa gobyerno," Castro said during a Palace press briefing the same day.

The official also assured that Cabinet members remain in their posts unless the President formally accepts their resignations, ensuring continuity in leadership and operations.

Underperformers

Still, the President’s “strike-all” directive has unleashed a wave of speculations as to whether he was getting rid of underperforming secretaries who have become a burden to his administration.

Despite Castro’s denial that the move was intended to “quietly get rid” of certain officials, political analysts have begun placing their bets as to which Cabinet secretaries will soon get the ax.

There’s no denying that some policies instituted by his Cabinet members have become unpopular among the electorate, a contributing factor to the underperformance of the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate in the recent polls.

The Alyansa’s electoral debacle in Mindanao also points out to the possibility that cabinet officials whose work centers on Mindanao would roil in hot water. This the reason for the rumor that Lagdameo and Galvez will soon receive their pink slips.

And then, there’s the impending implementation of Republic Act No. 12023, which will place a 12-percent value added tax to digital services such as streaming services and online sellers.

That law, which critics say will only further drive up the prices of basic goods and commodities (including goods sold over the Internet), will be implemented by the Department of Finance.

Then there’s the Department of Agriculture’s alleged failures to address the systematic problems plaguing the country’s agriculture industry, which have been plagued by natural calamities and policies that seem to favor importation over local production.

Indeed, the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” program of the DA – in fulfillment of one of President Marcos’ campaign pledges – came across as “too little, too late” and was even thought of by critics as an overt bribe to voters in the run-up to the polls.

‘Sayang naman'

There are also some sectors who believe that the President’s act was “overkill,” citing the recent performance of certain agencies that have been lauded by the public.

Top contenders for “overperformers” in the Marcos cabinet include the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

In recent months, the DOTr under Secretary Vince Dizon has earned the praise of transport advocates who have hailed the agency’s return to the pragmatic, pro-commuter approach of former DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade.

The current leadership of DepEd, too, under Secretary Sonny Angara, has earned considerable plaudits for their efforts to reform the country’s current education system – a Herculean task considering the recent statistics showing an alarming lack of learning and critical thinking skills among Filipino students.

If President Marcos is indeed serious in rectifying the underperformance of his administration, then why is he “punishing” those Cabinet officials who have stayed true to his promise of a “Bagong Pilipinas”?

#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews