Capable people who fell short at the polls last year should not be written off, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. indicated Friday, opening the door to bringing several of them into his administration now that a constitutional waiting period has ended.
Pressed on whether such appointments were on the table, he pointed to the depth of talent among those who had campaigned without winning a seat. “Possible. Nag-lapse na ang one-year ban for candidates who did not make it to the election. Marami namang magagaling diyan,” the President said.
The 1987 Constitution blocks anyone defeated in an election from receiving a government appointment for a full year afterward, a restriction designed to keep appointments from being used as political rewards. For those who ran in the May 2025 midterms, that window closed earlier this month, clearing the legal path for Malacañang to recruit from their ranks.
Marcos framed the move as a matter of not letting qualified people go to waste. “Don’t be surprised if we get more appointments from those candidates who ran in the last elections who did not make it. Sayang naman. We have to get the best talent that we can. That is a natural progression,” he said.
The signal follows an appointment the administration has already made on the same basis. Former senator Francis Tolentino, who placed 25th in the 2025 senatorial race under the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate, took his oath this week as acting labor secretary after the appointment ban expired, stepping into the post vacated by Bienvenido Laguesma.
