Two senior Philippine officials—Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman—have resigned out of an ethical principle after their departments were cited in allegations tied to a flood-control “anomaly” now under investigation. Their departures follow a massive three-day rally in Manila led by Iglesia Ni Cristo that drew hundreds of thousands of protesters demanding accountability for allegedly substandard or nonexistent flood-control projects and purported kickbacks to lawmakers, as previously reported by OCCRP.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. accepted both resignations and ordered a reshuffle: Finance Secretary Ralph Recto will move into the executive secretary role, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go will take over the finance portfolio, and Budget Undersecretary Rolando U. Toledo has been designated officer in charge at the Department of Budget and Management. Officials say the changes are meant to ensure “uninterrupted operations” as the government prepares next year’s budget and continues disaster-recovery efforts amid the ongoing graft and plunder probe.
