President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed three more new officials and retained three Cabinet members in the ongoing performance review of all appointed senior officials under the executive branch.
Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin said President Marcos appointed Solicitor General Darlene Marie Berberabe, replacing Menardo Guevarra; and Police Major General Gen. Nicolas Torre III as Philippine National Police chief replacing retiring Police General Rommel Marbil.
Marbil will retire on June 2.
Berberabe, dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law, took her oath of office before President Marcos on Thursday.
New Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Jose Ramon Aliling was also sworn into office by President Marcos on Thursday.
The Executive Secretary added that President Marcos also appointed Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Shirley Agrupis as CHED chairperson, replacing outgoing Chairperson Prospero De Vera III.
President Marcos, on the other hand, retained Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor ‘Jonvic’ Remulla.
“The President has been clear from the beginning. We are not just looking at the top levels. We are going deeper into the agencies, into the systems and into the quality of public service being delivered on the ground,” Bersamin said in a press briefing in Malacañang.
“The people expect results and the President has no patience for underperformance,” he added.
Aside from Cabinet officials, presidential advisers and heads of agencies, President Marcos also asked the heads of government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) to submit their courtesy resignations.
Bersamin said senior officials in government will also be included in the ongoing performance review.
He said each courtesy resignation accepted is based on “a careful assessment of whether the standards set by the President for efficiency and leadership have been met.”
“Let me remind you that this effort is the President’s commitment to a government that works fast, delivers results and meets the expectations of the Filipino people. As the President has said, he will not hesitate to make the necessary changes to keep the government moving forward,” Bersamin said. | PND
