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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reappointed Cabinet members whose appointments had been bypassed by the Commission on Appointments due to a lack of time
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Meanwhile, newly appointed Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin took his oath of office on October 4
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reappointed Cabinet officials whose appointments were bypassed by the Senate Commission on Appointments due to a lack of time before Congress took a five-week break on October 1.
Newly appointed Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, meanwhile, took his oath of office on October 4. Bersamin replaced Victor Rodriguez, who stepped down from the post over a week ago, following an illegal sugar importation fiasco.
The reappointed ad interim cabinet officials were:
- Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista
- Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno
- Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan
- Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual
- Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo
- Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr.
- Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla
- Migrant Workers Secretary Maria Susana Ople
- Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan
- Human Settlements Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar
Commission chairperson and Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri earlier said the commission was unable to tackle the appointments of the Cabinet officials due to a “lack of material time.” This required the reappointment of those officials to keep the government functioning smoothly.
The commission, however, was able to approve the ad interim appointments of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and Foreign Affairs Secretary Luis Enrique Manalo during its plenary session on September 28.
The appointments of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Masonsong Estrella III, Environmental and Natural Resources Secretary Ma. Antonia Loyzaga, and Tourism Secretary Ma. Esperanza Christina Frasco were approved on September 27.
Both Houses of Congress adjourned on October 1 and will resume their sessions on November 7.
