Malacañang has downplayed President Marcos’ lighthearted comment about a possible Cabinet shakeup, saying the remark was delivered in jest and should be taken at “face value.”

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said this after Marcos joked during a Palace event that First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos has become an ambassador for migrant workers due to her recent trips abroad that involved checking on their welfare.

“It’s your new designation… ‘di ba magka-Cabinet shake-up tayo, so kasama ka na doon (we’re having a Cabinet shake-up, right? So you’re part of it),” he said Thursday morning, Nov. 20.

In a press briefing following the event, Castro said there was no ongoing or planned reshuffle at this time, despite the President teasing that the First Lady might soon be designated “ambassador for migrant workers” after her recent trips abroad.

“Kung nakita ninyo po na parang pabiro po ‘yung pagkakasabi ng Pangulo, so ‘yun muna po tayo — face value (If you saw that the President said it jokingly, then let’s take it at face value for now),” she said.

“Sa ngayon po, wala pa po tayong ina-announce o sinasabing update patungkol diyan (For now, we have no announcements or updates regarding that),” she added.

Meanwhile, Castro also said the Palace has not launched any internal probe into the Cabinet following the resignation of former executive secretary Lucas Bersamin and former Budget secretary Amenah Pangandaman, and the investigation of several undersecretaries linked to alleged flood control anomalies.

“Sa ngayon ay wala pa pong ipinapaabot sa atin kung may internal investigation (As of now, nothing has been relayed to us about an internal investigation),” she said.

She stressed that inquiries connected to corruption in flood-control and infrastructure projects fall under the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which was created to ensure an impartial review.

Asked whether all Cabinet members should be considered under investigation, given the scope of the scandal, the Palace Press Officer said there was no basis for such an assumption.

“Wala po akong masasabi na lahat ay under investigation (I cannot say that everyone is under investigation),” she said.

“Ang maaari lamang pong isinasagawa ng Pangulo ay yung performance review ng bawat gabinete… at ‘yon po ay usual at regular (What the President is conducting is a performance review of each Cabinet member, which is usual and routine),” she added.

Castro rejected suggestions that Cabinet secretaries who resigned were granted a “graceful exit” that could allow them to avoid scrutiny.

She added that any investigation or prosecution would be undertaken by the ICI, the Ombudsman, or the Department of Justice.

“Wala pong puwedeng lumagpas… kung kailangan pong imbestigahan — private citizen man o public official — dapat imbestigahan (No one can escape this… if anyone needs to be investigated — whether a private citizen or a public official — they must be investigated),” Castro said.