Malacañang moved to tamp down speculation about changes in the President’s official team, saying there is no directive at this time to reorganize the Cabinet despite reports circulating online.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro addressed the issue during a Palace press briefing, stressing that no instructions have been issued regarding a broad leadership reshuffle. “As of now, we have not heard of any impending revamp,” she said.
Castro added that Cabinet members remain subject to the President’s assessment of their work, noting, “We are making our performance at the discretion of the President.”
Her remarks followed a report by an online news outlet claiming that a wide-ranging reorganization could involve as many as nine government agencies. The report suggested that the supposed overhaul was being considered in response to slipping public trust and approval ratings for the administration.
Among the offices cited as potentially affected were the Departments of Health, Education, Foreign Affairs, Tourism, Transportation, Information and Communications Technology, Public Works and Highways, and Economy, Planning and Development, as well as the Bureau of Customs. The same report claimed that the scale of changes would differ across agencies and pointed to Health Secretary Ted Herbosa as being particularly vulnerable.
It further alleged that the President was already searching for a replacement for Herbosa amid controversies and accusations of poor performance within the health sector.
The most recent Cabinet changes took place in November, when Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman stepped down. Their resignations were offered “out of delicadeza,” Castro previously explained, after their offices were linked to issues surrounding a flood control project.
Separately, the President had earlier instructed all Cabinet-level officials to submit courtesy resignations in the aftermath of the Alyansa coalition’s underwhelming showing in the May 2025 elections.
