If the grapevine buzz is to be believed, two Cabinet secretaries, now finding themselves at the center of intrigues and corruption allegations, may soon be moved or removed.
Of course, we never really know until it happens and if and when it really does become reality.
What is clear is that nobody is safe in the Marcos administration these days. You can be sitting comfortably in your office working, or at the Senate defending the budget process, and suddenly you get a call from someone more powerful than you, and then boom! You’re out.
Actually, even before this flood control mess erupted, we’ve seen sudden changes already since Marcos became president in 2022, with many in government suddenly thrown under the bus after delivering what was needed from them.
Take former Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III, for instance, who, months after putting Rody Duterte on a plane to The Hague, suddenly found himself sacked.
And then there’s the flood control mess. With the House of Marcos under siege because of the corruption scandal, we saw the sudden exit of “Little President” Lucas Bersamin as executive secretary and Amenah Pangandaman as the budget department chief two weeks ago.
Both Bersamin and Pangandaman were implicated by former lawmaker Zaldy Co in the budget insertion controversy, alleging that the budget secretary personally contacted him, requesting the insertion of P100 billion worth of projects in the bicameral conference committee. She denied the allegations. Bersamin, too, was said to have been involved but denied it.
Malacañang insists they resigned their posts out of delicadeza, although Bersamin had said he did not resign, while Pangandaman supposedly resigned – strangely, just minutes after defending the budget at the Senate last Nov. 17, with members of the Development Budget Coordination Committee in attendance.
Even erstwhile Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, who was also at the hearing, seemed clueless that he would be moving to the Palace as the new executive secretary.
What a mess that was.
Power struggle
What we’re hearing now is that there will be another round of movements involving at least two Cabinet officials, both implicated in corruption issues.
One of the two, though, managed to keep himself busy improving the department he is assigned to and has even won the backing of businessmen and other stakeholders.
However, the other one, previously with the private sector, is being criticized for being over-eager to show the public that he is “hard at work,” holding media briefings left and right.
Why the two may be included in a reshuffle or removed altogether is a puzzle, but sources said it’s not surprising, given the intense power struggle in Malacañang now, with some people jealous of their potentially lucrative posts.
A Senate in crisis
Over at the Senate, some senators are jittery as well over what’s coming, with rumors swirling that there will be warrants of arrest soon.
Some lawmakers who have previously been implicated in corruption scandals and have been labeled recidivists are going about their daily activities, acting like nothing is wrong.
Others, however, are taking the blow badly. One senator has become less visible, attending sessions only for attendance check and disappearing soon after.
Of course, we also know that Senator Bato dela Rosa has not been seen for more than two weeks now amid reports that the ICC has already released a warrant for his arrest.
Crisis headlines dominate
Speaking of crisis, a study revealed that crisis- and scandal-driven stories have almost completely overshadowed the Marcos administration’s broader governance agenda.
This is according to the Reputation Management Association of the Philippines (RMAP), which released a three-month national media scan conducted by PAGEONE Analytics and Insights (PAGEONE AI).
The PAGEONE AI scan, covering late August to November 2025, “found that Philippine media has been dominated by corruption controversies, political infighting, economic anxiety, and security tensions.”
“These include the flood control corruption scandal, the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, high-profile arrests, Cabinet resignations, the Marcos-Duterte rift, the ICC custody of former president Rodrigo Duterte, the economic slowdown, and incidents in the West Philippine Sea.”
RMAP warned that this imbalance in media framing deprives the public of a full understanding of how the country is being governed and noted that the administration has not done enough to communicate its broader programs outside these crises.
It noted that governance programs and long-term reforms remain largely invisible, particularly initiatives in education, agriculture, climate adaptation, digital transformation, health, and economic competitiveness, which appear only sporadically.
“RMAP noted that if such programs exist but are not being covered, it raises questions about whether they are insufficiently implemented or inadequately communicated.”
It urged both government and media institutions to strengthen the depth, balance, and clarity of public communication in order to promote informed citizenship and a healthier democracy.
Communication gaps in the Marcos administration contribute to the imbalance, with the scan suggesting that the administration has not sufficiently articulated its governance agenda or provided clear, consistent communication on reforms beyond crisis response.
It’s an interesting point, although I dare argue, as a journalist, that crises dominate the headlines because it is necessary for the citizens to be informed and that second, the Marcos administration is simply not doing enough legacy projects to fill our dose of governance news.
In the end, this administration is clearly in crisis, with little energy left for genuine governance. What happens next is anyone’s guess.