Press Statement of Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Ralph G. Recto

May 13, 2023

The President has the power to hire and fire. A Cabinet member is just the highest paid casual employee in his department. As such, pwede ma-endo anytime. Walang forever. In this country, a Cabinet or any presidential appointment has a short life span.

And if there is anyone who knows of the Cabinet members’ performance, it is the President himself, their immediate superior. He sees them work up close and personal, so he is the best judge of character, not the hecklers in the peanut gallery.

In fact, it is his duty, to effect personnel changes when his alter ego falters or fails in his work. Because when it happens, it is the people who will be punished by mediocrity. Sa basketball nga may substitution. When the ax falls, there is no room for sentimentality. 

I believe that the President will let competence, not connections, guide his hiring decisions. After all, he had the best mentor on this matter, in fact a legacy he carries, and that is how his father assembled his own Cabinet, which overall was a stellar cast of experts and professionals.