Malacañang officials deny looming Cabinet revamp

Two Malacañang officials on Tuesday denied reports that a Cabinet revamp is in the offing.

 

In separate interviews, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said President Benigno Aquino III has not mentioned any plan to reshuffle Cabinet secretaries.

 

“Insofar as changes to the Cabinet, I will leave it to the President to answer that because as far as I know, there are no movements yet,” Abad said.

 

He also denied that his daughter, Presidential Management Staff head Julia Abad, plans to resign her position and go to the United States.

 

“Insofar as flying to the US, I don’t think that is true. Although she is my daughter she has her own plans. But I think they'll be still around, so I don’t know if they have changed their plans,” said Abad.

 

Asked if his daughter plans to resign from her post, the Budget secretary admitted that Julia has a new role now as a mother and may need some adjustments, but “I don’t know if it that includes adjustment in her work schedule.

 

“There is a new element in her life now. She is a mother and she certainly wants a predictable life, because–as you know–the work supporting the President is a work that has no schedule because you are on call,” he said.

 

Lacierda, for his part, said other than the possible inclusion of graduating Senators Francis Pangilinan and Panfilo Lacson in the Cabinet by 2013 “there has been no mention of… (a revamp).”

 

“We have no information on (the supposed resignation of PMS head Abad),” Lacierda also said.

 

“We will let you know if there’s indeed some truth to that . As usual and as a matter of policy, the Office of the Spokesperson releases only official announcements,” he added. —VS, GMA News