Palace calls Imee's remarks on acting Cabinet appointments 'too harsh'

Malacañang on Monday denounced the remarks made by Senator Imee Marcos regarding the practice of her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., of appointing Cabinet officials serving in a ''prolonged acting capacity.''

In a press briefing, Castro said the senator's remark was ''too harsh.''

''Okay, that’s too harsh, very harsh, para sabihin ito sa Pangulo dahil sabi mo nga ito ay pinapatungkulan niya sa Pangulo at parang kay Pangulo lamang harsh si Senator Imee Marcos at hindi natin ito nakikita sa ibang mga kaalyado niya na nasasangkot sa ibang mga diumanong paggawa ng anomalya,'' Castro said.

(Okay, that's too harsh, very harsh for someone to mention that to the President because like what you said, she's referring to the President and it seems that Senator Imee Marcos was just harsh to the President and we don't see this reaction in relation to her allies, who seemed to be involved in anomalies.) 

''Well, anyway, the President means no offense to the Commission on Appointments. The President is merely exercising his constitutional prerogatives. He can make an appointment in temporary or permanent positions,'' she added. 

During the plenary session of the Commission on Appointments (CA) last week, Imee said there seems to be an “emerging modus operandi” as regards the appointment of Cabinet secretaries.

“What we are witnessing is no longer the occasional temporary designation made out of necessity, out of urgency. What we are instead witnessing is the normalization of acting appointments as a governing strategy—a deliberate method, perhaps, of bypassing the Commission on Appointments and diluting our sacrosanct constitutional role,” she said.

The senator said this can no longer be dismissed as incidental, transitional, or even harmless. 

''This is no longer a band-aid stop-gap arrangement. This appears to be an emerging modus operandi,” she added.

Imee said that the following acting Cabinet secretaries and officers have yet to be confirmed and presented before the powerful bicameral commission:

• Acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto;
• Acting Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez;
• Acting Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon;
• Acting Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni Lopez;
• Acting Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Frederick Vida;
• Acting Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Frederick Go;
• Acting Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Rolando Toledo;
• Acting Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna;
• Acting Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Director Robert Flores;
• Acting BCDA Director Jose Taruc;
• Acting BCDA Board Director Faustino Galang; and
• Acting Philippine Space Agency (PSA) Director General Gay Jane Perez

—LDF, GMA Integrated News