21 CABINET OFFICIALS, MANANATILI SA PUWESTO (Courtesy resignation, tinanggihan ni PBBM)

Muling tinanggihan ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang mga courtesy resignation ng mas marami pang opisyal ng Gabinete, ayon sa pahayag ngayong Martes ng Palasyo.

Kinumpirma ni Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin na mananatili sa kanilang mga posisyon ang mga sumusunod na opisyal ng ehekutibo:

• Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
• Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III
• Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara
• TESDA Director General Jose Francisco Benitez
• Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma
• Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian
• Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa
• Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac
• Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr.
• Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco
• DICT Secretary Henry Aguda
• Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon
• DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan
• Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile
• MMDA Chairman Romando Artes
• MinDA Secretary Leo Tereso Magno
• Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs Antonio Cerilles
• BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr.
• Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio
• National Treasurer Sharon Almanza
• Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Secretary Elaine Masukat

Ayon kay Bersamin, malinaw na nagpasya ang Pangulo base sa performance ng bawat opisyal:

“It is only the President who can decide if we performed up to par… and because of this, the President might have most likely determined that most of these whom he retained have performed up to par. Otherwise, he would surely have fired them,” ani Bersamin sa mga reporter sa Palasyo.

Nilinaw rin ng Palasyo na hindi pa tinatanggap ni Pangulong Marcos ang courtesy resignation ni Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. Nauna nang inanunsyo ang kanyang itatalagang bagong posisyon bilang Permanent Representative ng Pilipinas sa United Nations, kapalit ni DFA Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro.

Paliwanag ni Bersamin, magpapatuloy pa si Manalo sa kanyang kasalukuyang tungkulin hanggang tuluyang makumpirma ang kanyang appointment sa UN, na inaasahang magiging epektibo sa Agosto 1.

“There was a misunderstanding… The President recognizes the designation to be considered as done only after his confirmation,” dagdag pa ni Bersamin.

Samantala, kinumpirma rin ni Bersamin na tinanggap na ng Pangulo ang courtesy resignation ni Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PCUP) Chairperson and CEO Meynardo Sabili. Wala pang inilalabas na detalye kung sino ang ipapalit kay Sabili sa naturang posisyon.