A day after issuing a call to all his Cabinet members to resign, President Marcos has retained key officials in his administration, including Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and his economic team, while he replaced and moved some of them.

Of the 52 officials who have submitted their courtesy resignations on Thursday, May 22, Bersamin and his economic team composed of Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, and Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go were retained.  

In a press briefing on Friday afternoon, May 23, Bersamin disclosed that Marcos declined his courtesy resignation, saying he continues to enjoy the trust and confidence of the President.

"The President declined the courtesy resignation that I tendered. And just this morning, he communicated to me that I have his full backing for as long as I wish to work for him. And that is a very good gesture from the President because that is a sign of a manifestation of his full trust and confidence in myself," Bersamin said.

Bersamin also disclosed some of the firsts movement in the Cabinet which involved the departments of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Foreign Affairs (DFA), Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).

DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga will be replaced by Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Raphael Lotilla. DOE Undersecretary Sharon Garin will be the agency's officer-in-charge.

Former DHSUD undersecretary Ramon Aliling will replace DHSUD Secretary Jerry Acuzar, who will be designated as Presidential Adviser for Pasig River Development.

DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations Ma. Theresa Lazaro will take over the DFA leadership, replacing outgoing DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo who will be appointed anew as the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Manalo will replace current UN ambassador Antonio Manuel Lagdameo, who has signified his desire to retire as envoy.

The changes in the DFA will take effect on July 31, Bersamin said.

While Bersamin stressed that corruption was not the reason behind the replacement of the three secretaries, the Executive Secretary hinted that it could be due to poor performance and failure to deliver targets.

Bersamin revealed that they were made aware that Loyzaga was "often outside the country," but there was never any issue of corruption during her stint in the DENR.

"Si Secretary Loyzaga, walang issue ng korapsyon diyan. Maybe there is just a perception—I don't know how fair or unfair that perception is— na mas malimit siya sa labas ng bansa, yun ang recurring na pinapadating sa amin (Secretary Loyzaga has no issue of corruption. Maybe there is just as perception—I don't know how fair or unfair that perception is—that she is often outside the country, that the recurring information we get)," Bersamin said.

"Ngunit huwag na natin siyang husgahan, whether inefficiency 'yan or hindi, that's not up for us to do but the evaluation showed that it was time to have her rest muna (But let us not judge her, whether that is inefficiency or not, that's not up for us to do but the evaluation showed that it was time to have her rest for now)," Bersamin added.

When asked if Loyzaga's case was due to underperformance, the Palace official responded: "Underperformed siguro ang tawag diyan. Kasi kung may expectation ang Presidente (Maybe that is called 'underperformed'. Because if there is an expectation on the part of the President), and you do not perform, the messaging is underperformance is not going to be allowed."

He also said that perhaps in the future Loyzaga will be considered for another government or Cabinet position.

Acuzar may have set a standard so high, which he was not able to achieve, causing him to be replaced, Bersamin also revealed.

"Yung kay Secretary Acuzar, hindi mo rin masabing corruption 'yan, wala. Hindi mo rin masabing underperformance. Under-delivery (For Secretary Acuzar, you cannot say that it's corruption, no. You cannot also say it's underperformance. Under-delivery)," the Executive Secretary said.

The Palace executive admitted that in meeting the target of one million housing units per year until 2028, Acuzar might have faced obstacles beyond his and the government's control causing him to fail to deliver the target.

"Alam mo napakataas yung nilagay niyang standard niya (You know, he has set a very high standard) when he accepted the job. But you know, he was very efficient in the private sector, the President expected na makapag-deliver siya (that he will deliver). Pero I don't know if he set the standard too high for himself dahil one million housing units a year, there may have been obstacles in his way which were beyond his control and beyond the  control of the government," Bersamin said.

"But to us now, because of the results of the election, it's time for the President to take him out there and bring another one who might make a better performance. Ganyan ang tingin ko sa kaso ni Secretary Acuzar (That's how I see the case of Secretary Acuzar)," he added.

Bersamin, however, did not mention any other reason in replacing Manalo as DFA head, aside from the need for someone to take over the UN envoy post. He said the President has high regard to the position that he decided to appoint Manalo to the UN. 

"Yung posisyon na 'yan ay napakataas sa pagtingin ng ating Pangulo kaya si Secretary Manalo mismo ang ilalagay natin diyan na kapalit ni Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo, effective August 1 (President has high regard to that the position so he will place Secretary Manalo there to replace Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo)," Bersamin said.

He pointed out that the UN position was crucial because of the Philippines' campaign for a Non-Permanent member in the UN Security Council in 2027 to 2028.

Meanwhile, the President decided to retain his economic team as he deems the country's economy as an urgent matter to be handled.

"The President decided to retain these five members of the economic team so that there will be no more problems sa perception about where the country is going," Bersamin said.

It was revealed that Marcos actually wants to bring in "action men" into his Cabinet, considering his observation that the ordinary Filipinos are not benefiting from the government's projects.

Bersamin said he cannot pre-judge the decision of Marcos on who to appoint or dismiss, but believes that the President wants to respond to what the public wants.

"Mahirap nating i-prejudge yung (It is difficult to prejudge) actions that will be taken but you can be sure that the President really wants to be responsive to the popular clamor for performance, for change," Bersamin said.

"One time, recently lang, sinabi niya na (One time, recently, he said that) we seem not to be delivering to the common tao (people) because they are the greater number of our people. So what must we do, we must have action men. So, you can be sure that that is the direction...I'm not calling this a purge, it's a cleansing," he added.

He further said there could be new faces to enter the Cabinet, however, he said "no one can second guess what the President really has in his heart."

The President's move to call for the courtesy resignation of his entire Cabinet was not a gimmick, Bersamin said, stressing that it was actually the best way to do it.

"It's best that we did it this way. So that it will be more honorable for them. Hindi naman kami yung diktador na magsasabi na: uy, wala ka na. sipain mo na (We are not like dictators who would cut you off)," he said.

"When I said that we are all serving at the will of the President's pleasure, we have to humanize. So demanding a courtesy resignation is the best way of doing it because all that you can do is just to accept. And that's the end of the debate," he added.

Meanwhile, the Palace official did not divulge any information about the composition of the review committee undertaking the performance evaluation of the Cabinet members, but he assured that they "are highly-caliber and with an objective character."

"Ang paghuhusga naman e, it is based on what is observed, what are on the ground now, performance, etc. So these are all brought to the attention of the President, who makes the ultimate decision, whether to dismiss or accept the resignation, or continue or to give a new mandate," he said.

"Next week, maybe after Wednesday, there will be more announcements to be made," he also said.

Bersamin did not give an exact timeline on how long the performance evaluation of Cabinet secretaries will take as it must be done "one at a time."

"Hindi mo pwedeng i-lumpsum yung mga Cabinet secretaries because each has a different area of responsibility, each has a burden that is different from the other," he said.