Malacañang on Monday confirmed the biggest shake-up so far in President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s inner circle, following intensifying investigations into the alleged flood control corruption scheme implicating Palace, congressional, and local government officials.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro announced that Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman have both resigned “out of delicadeza.”
Their departures come as their agencies emerged in the widening probe into anomalous budget insertions and questionable appropriations.
Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ralph Recto has been appointed as the new Executive Secretary, placing the administration’s top economic architect at the center of presidential operations.
Frederick Go—long regarded as one of Marcos’ most influential economic advisers—will take over the DOF portfolio, strengthening his position as a key strategist shaping fiscal policy.
At the DBM, Undersecretary Rolando Toledo has been designated officer in charge, inheriting a department now under intense scrutiny over its role in the alleged irregularities.
The dual resignations unfold amid growing rallies, testimonies from whistleblowers, and mounting claims that the corruption scheme may be broader than initially believed.
While the Palace insists the moves demonstrate accountability, reports of Bersamin’s impending exit had circulated for days.