One year after the elections, May 9, 2023 marks the end of the appointment ban. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can now introduce cabinet members from the pool of candidates who lost in the 2022 national elections. In a quick interview in Indonesia during the 42nd ASEAN Summit, Marcos Jr. explicitly said that "Tapos na 'yung 'on the job training' (The 'on the job training' days are over)," referring to the end of the one-year ban period. Additionally, he said that the first year of the cabinet is a year of performance testing and observation. Marcos Jr. admits that he will be deliberate in choosing the next cabinets from this one-year observation.
How many familiar faces will Marcos Jr. place in his reorganized cabinet?
In the interview, he did not explicitly mention the number of new cabinet secretaries he chose. However, he notes there will be plenty of new yet familiar faces in his new cabinet.
"Marami. Talagang gagamitin mo ‘yung one year. Asahan ‘nyo ‘yun (A lot. I will really take this one year as an opportunity. Expect that)," Marcos Jr. said during the interview.
Marcos Jr. teases that he will indeed source new members from the losing candidates in the recently concluded elections, giving the public a glimpse of his reshuffled cabinet.
Illustrated by Dovie
Who could be the new cabinet members?
This selection of new cabinet members can start to broker new political relationships for the Marcos presidency. He can select from a large pool of candidates who fail to get elected — around 69 potential members. Marcos can choose from 52 losing senatorial candidates, eight other vice-president aspirants, and even nine of his presidential rivals.
By virtue of proximity, Marcos can choose the losing senatorial candidates under his uniteam slate. Namely, former Quezon City Mayor Herbert 'Bistek' Bautista, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Lawyer Larry Gadon, and Gilbert 'Gibo' Teodoro. Strategically speaking, he can also choose other senatorial candidates from other camps to build new political bridges.
Marcos also has a brimming opportunity to handpick other presidential rivals for new political connections. Other presidential candidates like former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, former senator Manny Pacquiao, and former senator Panfilo Lacson are possible candidates for the reorganized Marcos cabinet.
The impending Marcos cabinet reshuffle is a critical juncture for the Marcos presidency. It is an opportunity to build bridges and reify his bureaucratic position. From this teased reorganization, Marcos Jr.'s decision of whom to include and whom not to include has a consequence of either securing new political support or creating new political rivalry.
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