Recto vows to improve governance as Executive Secretary

Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said Monday that as incoming Executive Secretary, he aims to enhance government services and ensure the implementation of the Philippine Development Plan for 2023–2028.

In an ambush interview on the sidelines of Senate debates over the proposed 2026 budgets for the Department of Finance (DOF) and other agencies, Recto said he was surprised by his appointment as Executive Secretary, succeeding Atty. Lucas Bersamin.

“Surprised, yeah, but work has to continue. Essentially, I think the role of the ES is just governance, so taong bahay ka do’n (you are the house help),” he said.

He also sought to downplay common references to the Executive Secretary as the “little President.”

“You know wala naman talagang little President eh (there’s no such thing as a little President). You cannot do miracles. But having said that, our job is to improve governance,” he said.

In a statement, Recto reiterated that he does not agree with the term, “Little President” to refer to his new role as Executive Secretary.

“There is only one President. Let us disabuse ourselves of the notion that the Executive Secretary is clothed with some mythical awesome powers,” he said, adding that he will be “deliberately staying out of the limelight” to be effective in his new role.

Recto said his marching orders as Executive Secretary would be simple: to focus on governance, monitor the performance of departments and maximize their outputs to ensure that they are not distracted by political noise, and see to it that government agencies are doing their job and delivering their promises to Filipinos.

He added that he would prefer to be a “workhorse than a show horse” in his new job.

“I will not be chasing headlines, but deadlines. I am prepared to bury myself in paperwork. To read the fine print so that policies that land on the President’s desk have been properly vetted, and when translated to orders are heard loud and clear,” Recto said.

“He possesses the wisdom for the ages, and the kindness of a true gentleman,” he said.

Recto said he has not yet spoken with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. but expects to be summoned to Malacañang either Monday night or Tuesday.

In his statement, he also thanked Marcos for his continued trust and confidence, adding that to be called to serve as Executive Secretary “at this decisive moment is an honor matched only by its gravity.”

Recto added that he only has full respect and admiration for Bersamin, his predecessor and mentor in the Cabinet.

He also shared that his final instruction to his DOF family was: “Just follow the plan we laid out.”

For his part, Frederick Go also vowed to take on Recto’s place as Finance Secretary with a deep sense of responsibility, as he also expressed his gratitude to the President for trusting him with the finance portfolio.

“Recognizing the challenges and opportunities ahead, I am fully committed to promoting fiscal strength and sustainable economic growth for the country,” said Go, currently the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs,

He added that he is looking forward to “working closely with our partners in government, the private sector, and the international community to pursue shared prosperity and a brighter future for all Filipinos.”

On Monday afternoon, Palace Press Secretary Undersecretary Claire Castro announced Recto’s appointment, following Bersamin's resignation.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman also resigned from her post and was replaced by Budget Undersecretary Rolando Toledo. 

According to Castro, both officials voluntarily stepped down from their posts out of "delicadeza" after they were implicated in the alleged anomalous flood management projects. Their resignation will also give way for the administration to investigate the issue properly, she added.

Recto rejected insinuations that Pangandaman’s resignation gave credence to the allegations of former Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co on her alleged involvement in the fund insertions in the 2025 national budget.

“I think she resigned kasi nabanggit syempre ‘yung department niya (because her department was implicated),” Recto said.

“She is giving the President the freehand to investigate all the departments involved,” he added. 

In a series of chopped-up video statements, Co alleged that Marcos, his cousin former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and some Cabinet members were behind the supposed "insertions" worth P100 billion into the national budget.

The former congressman also claimed that Marcos and Romualdez took up to P56 billion as supposed kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects.

Both have denied the accusations against them. — MCG/JMA, GMA Integrated News