Former Executive Secretary Oscar Orbos will take over as officer-in-charge (OIC) general manager of PTV-4, replacing Toby Nebrida, Malacañang confirmed Monday.
In an interview, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Acting Secretary Jay Ruiz said the decision was made following discussions with Orbos, who agreed to assume the role while the agency prepares the necessary documents and reviews legal considerations.
“We talked about it last Saturday, and he agreed while the officer-in-charge was there as GM,” Ruiz said in Filipino. “We’re just preparing the papers and looking into the legalities, but for now, he (Orbos) agreed,” he added.
However, Orbos has indicated he does not intend to hold the position for long due to his age and has expressed a preference to serve as chairman instead.
“He said, ‘I won’t stay there for long because I’m getting old,'” Ruiz said, quoting Orbos.
“He’d rather stay as chairman instead, and we agreed on our part. But for now, Secretary Oscar Orbos will be the OIC,” he added.
Ruiz acknowledged that the leadership change was partly influenced by employee concerns.
“There are a lot of employees complaining, so we want to calm them down,” Ruiz said.
“Expect that something new will happen,” he added.
When asked about the nature of the complaints, Ruiz declined to provide specifics.
The transition at PTV-4 is part of a broader government revamp.
Ruiz said Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin had issued an order requiring all presidential appointees to submit courtesy resignations.
Each office is being evaluated based on performance, with an initial list of officials already under review.
“There was already an initial list, and we are looking at it, including the performance of the people heading each office,” Ruiz said.
He added that the full staffing of senior officials, including undersecretaries and assistant secretaries, is expected to be completed within two to three weeks.
“There’s a lot to do, not just staffing,” Ruiz said.
“But our goal is to bring government programs to the people. That’s our main focus,” he added.