Philippines' Marcos calls for 30 cabinet secretaries to quit in government 'reset'

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Thursday called on about 30 cabinet secretaries to quit in a "bold reset" following his party's less than total victory in recent mid-term elections.
Three secretaries announced their resignations as of Thursday morning, with a fourth saying she also intended to resign.
The mid-term polls held last week were seen as a referendum on the current administration, and only six out of 11 Marcos-endorsed candidates secured a Senate seat.
The 12 newly elected senators will join 12 others already in office as jurors at embattled Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, which could see the Marcos rival permanently barred from public office.
The "bold reset" was aimed at giving Marcos room to evaluate the performance of each department and determine which officials "will continue to serve in line with his administration's recalibrated priorities", the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement on Thursday.
"This is not about personalities; it's about performance, alignment, and urgency," Marcos said in the statement.
"Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognised. But we cannot afford to be complacent."
The presidential palace added that government services would not be interrupted during the transition, and stability and meritocracy would guide the selection of his new executive team.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Finance Secretary Ralph Recto announced Thursday that they have resigned from their posts.
Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman also said she would submit her resignation.

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The National

16 hours ago

• The National

South-East Asian countries are broadly siding with Iran in its conflict with Israel. This isn't surprising

While some western leaders have been shredding what little remains of the rules-based international order by bizarrely insisting that the appropriate way to respond to Israel's illegal attacks on Iran is to state that 'Israel does have the right to defend itself', there is a different view in South-East Asia. The leaders of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei have all condemned the aggression of the Israeli government, while Singapore has called for an immediate ceasefire. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was typically straightforward. 'We must stand up for the rights of our friends, including Iran, which has been wronged,' he said on Sunday. 'We defend Iran's right to retaliate in order to uphold its national dignity.' Referring to that retaliation, he said: 'Many European nations criticised and express outrage against Iran. But when Israel launched its attacks, they remained silent. I do not share that view.' His government would continue 'to uphold the principle of defending the rights and sovereignty of all nations,' he added. Brunei is a signatory – as is the UAE - to the joint statement by 21 Arab and Islamic countries which states their 'categorical rejection and condemnation of Israel's recent attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran since the 13th of June 2025 … while emphasising the necessity of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, adhering to the principles of good neighbourliness, and the peaceful settlement of disputes'. Asked about the Israel-Iran conflict on Monday, the head of Indonesia's Presidential Communication Office said: 'In every conflict, Indonesia's stance is always the same: condemning military aggression, encouraging de-escalation and ceasefire, and calling for a resolution through diplomacy and international law.' The stance in Jakarta is unsurprising. Iran's late president Ebrahim Raisi paid a state visit to Indonesia in 2023, and earlier this week local media quoted the Iranian ambassador as saying that a reciprocal invitation was being issued to President Prabowo Subianto. 'If Prabowo accepts [Iranian] President Masoud Pezeshkian's invitation, we can arrange the perfect time for their meeting,' he told them, a little precipitously, some may think, given the current circumstances. Mr Prabowo also appeared to speak for Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday, when the two appeared before reporters at Parliament House, Singapore, after a bilateral meeting this week, and said: 'We emphasise the importance of peaceful solution negotiations, and we call for an immediate ceasefire.' If the Israeli government wasn't a pariah before, it is now Only last month Mr Prabowo said that: "Indonesia has stated that once Israel recognises Palestine, Indonesia is ready to recognise Israel and open the diplomatic relationship." Don't expect much more of that kind of talk in the region for now. The words 'valid for all countries except Israel' are unlikely to disappear from Malaysian passports any time soon. As it is, international sporting events have already been stripped from Malaysia and Indonesia over the past few years after prominent politicians objected to Israelis taking part. Singapore's leadership probably keeps as quiet as possible about the city-state's long and close ties to Israel, which have caused protests this year and last. In fact, all countries in the region with significant Muslim minorities, and that includes Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar and the Philippines, need to tread carefully on the Israel-Iran conflict – which may be why their governments appear to have said or done little or nothing thus far. The reason for that is opinion among the region's about 250 million Muslims is, broadly speaking, pretty black and white: the government of Israel is – yet again – the aggressor, and Iran has the right to fight back. From my own experiences at conferences involving South-East Asian countries, I would suggest, however, it's important to note that the friendliness is with Iran as a state and as a fellow Muslim country. It's not about approval of the Islamic Republic per se, nor its activities interfering in other states in the Middle East. First of all, distance matters. Iran's support of the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon is in a faraway neighbourhood. Second, the South-East Asian view would be that all of that, including Iran's domestic political set-up, is none of their business. The principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states applies, and Iran does not seek to intervene in South-East Asian states. This is also why the fact that Iran is Shiite, a form of Islam that is a tiny minority and not exactly encouraged in the overwhelmingly Sunni region, is not an issue. That is seen as an internal matter for Iran, and doesn't need to affect relations between states. Seen from South-East Asia, Iran is a state which has for centuries been an important part of the Islamic world. There is no reason at all why it should not be treated warmly as part of the 'friends with all' approach common in the region. The US and its allies may regard it as 'the principal source of regional instability and terror', as the recent G7 statement put it, but that doesn't persuade people in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta or Mindanao. After all, even if Tehran managed to achieve the nuclear bomb that it has always denied trying to build, it is highly unlikely that it would ever be pointed towards South-East Asia. And, in any case, I have heard pointed out many times: Israel has a nuclear bomb – why shouldn't Iran? The latter is simply not viewed as any kind of threat at all. Support for Israel, on the other hand, has always been low to the point of unmeasurable among the Muslim masses in South-East Asia, even if some elites were open to co-operation on security matters, for instance. Now it is hard to find anyone who isn't troubled by Israel's constant flouting of international law and complete disregard for civilian life. Iran has sometimes been said in the last few days to have 'no friends'. But if Tehran looks east, it will find hundreds of millions who are, at the least, well-disposed towards them. And in the current conflict, there's little doubt about whose side they are on.

Khaleej Times

2 days ago

• Khaleej Times

Thailand's 'Yellow Shirts' return to streets demand PM quit

Hundreds of anti-government protesters gathered outside Thailand's Government House on Thursday, demanding Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign over a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen that triggered public outrage. The scandal rocked Paetongtarn's coalition after the Bhumjaithai party, a key partner, pulled out on Wednesday, accusing her of undermining the country and insulting the dignity of the military. The leaked call, in which Paetongtarn referred to the Thai army's northeastern commander as her opponent and addressed Hun Sen as "uncle" has drawn strong public backlash. The protest, held in scorching tropical heat, drew mostly elderly demonstrators wearing yellow shirts -- the colour strongly associated with Thailand's monarchy -- who accused the 38-year-old leader of "lacking diplomatic skills" and "endangering national interests". "I was very disappointed when I heard the (leaked) audio," Kanya Hanotee, 68, a temple worker told AFP. "She lacks negotiation skills. Who does she think she is? This country is not hers." Protesters waved Thai flags and placards labelling Paetongtarn a "traitor", and chanted "Get out!" and "Go to hell!" while dozens of riot police stood nearby. Many in the crowd were longtime supporters of the conservative, pro-royalist "Yellow Shirt" movement, which has fiercely opposed the Shinawatra political dynasty since the 2000s. Kaewta, 62, a housewife from Bangkok said she joined Yellow Shirt protests near Bangkok's Democracy Monument two decades ago. "I didn't support any political party. All I knew was that I hated Thaksin and his family," she told AFP. "Our politicians are all corrupt." 20-year battle The battle between the conservative pro-royal establishment and Thaksin's political movement backed by its own "Red Shirt" supporters has dominated Thai politics for more than 20 years. Yellow Shirts, backed by Royalists and business elites, led 2008 protests that shut Bangkok's airports, stranded tourists, and helped topple a Thaksin-linked government. In 2010, pro-Thaksin "Red Shirt" protesters rallied in Bangkok in opposition to the military-backed government, ending in a bloody crackdown that left more than 90 people dead. "The power has been passed from her father to her aunt, and now to her," said Mek Sumet, 59, an electrical equipment seller who took part in the 2008 Don Mueang airport occupation. "She doesn't think of the country but only of herself," he told AFP. The kingdom has had a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, and the current crisis has inevitably triggered rumours that another may be in the offing. Despite Thailand's long history of coups, some protestors openly welcomed the idea of another military intervention. "I want the military to take control," Kanya told AFP.

Khaleej Times

3 days ago

• Khaleej Times

Dubai: 18 Filipinos stranded at DXB repatriated home amid Israel-Iran conflict

The Philippine government has successfully repatriated 18 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were stranded at Dubai International Airport. They arrived on June 13 and were supposed to be on their way to work in Israel and Jordan but were stranded in Dubai due to the temporary shutdown of major airports amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Philippine labour attache John Rio Aceveda Bautista told Khaleej Times on Tuesday the OFWs arrived on Friday and were repatriated on June 15. Fifteen of the repatriated OFWs were returning workers to Israel, while three were newly hired workers bound to Jordan. After arriving in Manila on Monday, they were temporarily housed at a hotel, according to the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). DMW secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said each OFW received Ph50,000 (Dh3,335) in financial assistance. 'This is not simply aid but a safety net as they have temporarily lost their source of income,' said Cacdac, adding the OFWs will also receive transportation allowance back to their respective home provinces. Meanwhile, Eduardo de Vega, undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the security threat in Israel is classified by the Philippine government as under alert level 2, meaning there are heightened risks to safety and security. 'Mandatory repatriation is based on alert levels,' Cacdac noted. 'We are still coordinating with the DFA and DND (Department of National Defence) on this. But rest assured, we are ready if the situation worsens.' Cacdac said there are about 30,000 OFWs – mostly employed in caregiving, agriculture, hospitality, and manufacturing – in Israel. 'It it is difficult to determine how many are in immediate danger without causing unnecessary alarm,' he added. There are approximately more than 1,000 Filipinos in Iran. DFA said there are contingency plans for a possible evacuation route through Turkmenistan. Philippine officials reminded OFWs to monitor official channels for updates and to follow local advisories. After Israel launched strikes on Iran in Friday, several countries, including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel have closed their airspaces for commercial flights. UAE-based airlines immediately announced that customers connecting through UAE with final destinations in Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon would not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice.