Bersamin: ‘Cleansing’ won’t be arbitrary

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants the Cabinet performance evaluation to be completed as soon as possible amid the ongoing “cleansing” and recalibration following the disappointing results for the administration senatorial slate in the midterm elections.

“You heard the President – he said it should be immediate,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said.

“As humanly possible, the evaluation is done one at a time. You cannot lump the Cabinet secretaries because each has a different area of responsibility, each has a burden that is different from the other one,” he added.

While declining to disclose the composition of the committee tasked with reviewing the performance of Cabinet members, Bersamin said the members are “qualified and impartial.”

“Evaluations must be done carefully. You cannot be arbitrary,” he said.

“You can be sure that they (review committee members) are high-caliber individuals with objective character,” he added.

The President also expanded his order for courtesy resignations to include bureau chiefs and heads of agencies of similar level.

On Friday, BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr., Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, and Philippine Commission on Women chairperson Ermelita Vadeavilla also tendered their courtesy resignations.

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chairperson Lala Sotto-Antonio, daughter of returning senator Tito Sotto III who won under the administration’s senatorial slate, likewise submitted her courtesy resignation.

Bersamin on Friday said his courtesy resignation was rejected by the President, who also kept five Cabinet secretaries from his economic team while replacing the heads of four major departments – the first tranche of a major shake-up to “recalibrate” the government.

The President accepted the resignation of Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, who will be replaced by Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla.

Energy Usec. Sharon Garin will assume the position of officer-in-charge of DOE upon Lotilla’s exit.

Secretary Enrique Manalo will also be removed from the Department of Foreign Affairs, which will be headed by career diplomat Usec. Ma. Theresa Lazaro starting July 31.

Manalo will replace Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo Sr. as the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

The senior Lagdameo is retiring after decades of diplomatic service. He is the father and namesake of Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. who also tendered his courtesy resignation on Thursday and is awaiting his fate in the Marcos Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Housing Secretary Jerry Acuzar will transition to a new Cabinet-level role as Presidential Adviser for Pasig River Improvement.

Engineer Jose Ramon Aliling, a former Housing undersecretary and president of a prominent construction management firm, will take over as head of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.

Five economic managers were retained by the President, namely Trade Secretary Maria Cristina Roque, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Budget Secretary Amena Pangandaman, and Special Assistant to the President for Economic Affairs Frederick Go.