Did he resign? Was he fired?
An accurate description of the departure of Lucas Bersamin from the Cabinet is that he was told that he had resigned.
This is according to his narration of what happened on Monday afternoon, when he lamented that his resignation “out of delicadeza” was announced by Malacañang before he received official confirmation.
The retired chief justice took exception to the implications of citing delicadeza in his involuntary resignation. As accusations of his involvement in the budget / flood control anomalies swirled, he denied any impropriety and advised his critics to just sue him.
What the “little president” did to warrant such an ignominious exit as the Cabinet primus inter pares should prove as interesting as the Marcos family feud. (OK, maybe a bit less interesting.)
Bersamin lasted three years as little president – far longer than his predecessor, BBM’s first executive secretary and election campaign spokesman, Vic Rodriguez, who lasted all of two-and-a-half months as ES.
Rodriguez resigned in September 2022 amid a controversy over sugar importations, but said he would be staying on as Palace chief of staff. Days later, new ES Bersamin said there is no such order designating Rodriguez as chief of staff. Rodriguez then announced his “complete exit” from the Marcos administration.
In November, Rodriguez was expelled as executive vice president of BBM’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, over “loss of trust and confidence” and “acts inimical to the party.” BBM did not stop the expulsion.
Along with Bersamin, budget chief Amenah Pangandaman also resigned out of delicadeza, according to Malacañang. So far, there’s no word from her on whether she heard about her resignation for the first time from the press briefing of Claire Castro.
The “resignations” came on the heels of the unceremonious ouster of Romeo Lumagui Jr. as Bureau of Internal Revenue commissioner. Did he step on the toes of certain influential folks?
It must be emphasized that BBM is not the only president with a predilection for messy breakups with his supporters. Maybe it’s hard to say goodbye.
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Last May, in the wake of the Alyansa debacle in the Senate race, President Marcos raised expectations of a sweeping revamp. He ordered all Cabinet members to submit their courtesy resignations, to “realign the government with people’s expectations.”
“The people have spoken… we hear them, and we will act,” BBM intoned. “The time for comfort zones is over.”
Malacañang touted it as a “bold reset.”
Alas, the bold reset was a dud. Bersamin, whose resignation was the first to be rejected, announced instead a Cabinet rigodon, with only one official – environment chief Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga – losing her post and not recycled to another agency.
Later, BBM probably no longer saw the need for heads to roll when he saw the enthusiastic public reaction to his “mahiya naman kayo” campaign to shame the shameless.
But these days, with public outrage not abating, and violence and opportunistic shakedowns being stirred into the protest pot, the need to get out of comfort zones seems to have re-emerged.
Yesterday, BBM teased that a Cabinet revamp is in the offing: “Di ba magka-Cabinet shakeup tayo?”
The statement was in jest, to rib his wife that she could be part of the shakeup, to be designated as ambassador for migrant workers. Someone might want to whisper into BBM’s ear that the times are not ideal for joking about jet-setting to Europe.
Asked if a Cabinet revamp loomed, Palace press officer Castro noted that it was said jokingly, but added that we should just wait for further announcements.
Several economists interviewed by The STAR said that without accompanying structural reforms and accountability, a Cabinet reshuffle could even deepen uncertainty.
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Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, the senior House deputy minority leader, told “Storycon” on One News yesterday that he sensed a threatening undertone in Bersamin’s gripe that he did not resign.
The message that Erice sees is that Bersamin doesn’t want to be dragged into the corruption and budget mangling controversy in which his favorite grandnephew, Adrian Bersamin, has been implicated.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had told Storycon that even when he was the secretary of justice, he already had in his crosshairs the younger Bersamin, who could soon face indictment for conspiracy to commit plunder.
The elder Bersamin is not seen as part of the suspected conspiracy… for now. Although hurting, he was still all praises for BBM as a boss.
Whether the “little president” was fired or resigned, what matters is seeing people facing punishment for crimes against the people.
As reactions to the latest changes have shown, people are still restless, looking for solid signs that the changes aren’t merely cosmetic.
People want to see looters behind bars – and no bail for humanitarian reasons for the VIPs, please.
The accused will invoke presumption of innocence, as is their constitutional right.
But Filipinos know that the most notorious thieves, murderers and human rights violators in this country maintain innocence up to their last breath, even after conviction with finality. Most of them claim to be victims of politics.
BBM, Remulla and public works chief Vince Dizon have promised a unique Christmas gift to the people: VIPs behind bars on charges of systematic looting.
That will be more welcome than any Cabinet rigodon.