MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has decided to retain three key Cabinet officials—Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla, and Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro—amid a sweeping reorganization of his administration’s leadership.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced Thursday that the President had declined the courtesy resignations of the two Remulla brothers and Teodoro, reaffirming his confidence in their leadership of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Department of National Defense (DND), respectively.
Their retention comes amid what the Palace earlier described as a “bold reset” of the Marcos Cabinet, following the President’s call last week for all secretaries to tender courtesy resignations as part of an overall performance review and strategic realignment.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will be stepping down from his post and transitioning to a new diplomatic role.
He is set to be replaced by Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro, effective July 31. Manalo will instead serve as the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
Other changes in the Cabinet are underway. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will soon be led by the current energy secretary, although no formal appointment has been announced.
Executive Secretary Bersamin noted that the remaining posts are still under “careful evaluation.”
Despite the reshuffle, President Marcos reportedly intends to keep the heads of key economic agencies, including the departments of finance, trade, budget, and economic planning.
The ongoing reorganization is expected to shape the second half of Marcos’s term as his administration seeks to streamline governance and bolster its policy execution.