President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday administered the oath of office to Acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and Acting Finance Secretary Frederick Go, marking major leadership shifts after the resignation of two Cabinet officials earlier this week.
The appointments came two days after the President accepted the “out-of-delicadeza” resignations of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, both linked to ongoing probes into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
According to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, the two officials stepped down voluntarily to give the administration “full latitude” to address the issues while protecting the integrity of their offices.
Recto, a former Finance Secretary, is expected to oversee Palace operations, improve inter-agency coordination, and push forward high-impact national programs. He brings extensive experience in fiscal policy, national planning, and legislative reforms.
Go, former Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs, now leads the Finance Department. Malacañang credits him with advancing investment pipelines, aligning economic initiatives, and strengthening investor confidence amid global economic pressures.
Castro said the leadership changes underscore the President’s commitment to institutional strengthening and clean governance as investigations continue into the alleged budget irregularities.