Senator Imee Marcos on Wednesday accused the administration of her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., of overusing “acting” appointments to sidestep constitutional checks by the Commission on Appointments (CA).
Marcos claimed that a significant number of Cabinet-level officials remain in temporary roles to avoid undergoing confirmation hearings, raising concerns about transparency and accountability within the government.
“Ang administrasyong ito ay inaabuso ang ‘acting’ appointments upang makaiwas sa pagharap sa CA. Ito ay bagong modus ng pamahalaan upang i-bypass ang konstitusyonal na mandato ng CA,” the senator said in a statement.
She noted that nearly 40 percent of Cabinet secretaries have yet to face CA scrutiny, which she described as a violation of constitutional principles designed to ensure proper vetting of top officials.
“Hindi sila nasusuri, hindi nakikilatis at hindi lubos na nakikilala ng komisyon. Labag na iyan sa ating Konstitusyon,” Marcos said.
The senator called on the CA to assert its authority and require officials to undergo formal evaluation before assuming long-term posts.
“Dapat tigilan na ang pago-overacting. Huwag kalimutang mag-audition sa CA ang ating mga matataas na opisyal,” she added.
Marcos stressed that confirmation hearings are essential not only for assessing qualifications but also for safeguarding against corruption.
“Kung ang karaniwang empleyado nga ay dumaraan sa mahigpit na proseso ng aplikasyon, dapat mas mahigpit pa tayo sa mga opisyal na nagpapatakbo ng ating bansa,” she said.
“Paano natin malalaman kung karapat-dapat ba sila sa mga posisyon kung ganito ang nangyayari? Patuloy lang nilang nililinlang at niloloko ang taumbayan.”
She also pointed to provisions under Executive Order No. 292, which limit acting appointments to one year—a threshold that some officials may have already exceeded.