In a stunning late-afternoon shake-up, Malacañang announced on Monday, November 17, that Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman have resigned from their posts, the biggest Cabinet exit under the Marcos administration to date.
The announcement was made by Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro in an abruptly called press briefing.
“Both officials respectfully offered and tendered their resignations out of delicadeza after their departments were mentioned in allegations related to the flood control anomaly currently under investigation, and in recognition of the responsibility to allow the administration to address the matter appropriately,” Castro said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has accepted both resignations.
Recto is new Executive Secretary; Go takes over DOF
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto will replace Bersamin as Executive Secretary, becoming Marcos’ third “Little President” in just over three years. Fredrick Go, the presidential assistant for investment and economic affairs, has been appointed Finance Secretary, succeeding Recto.
Castro said Recto’s “long record in economic policymaking, fiscal legislation, and national planning positions him well to oversee the day-to-day operations of government and coordinate the implementation of high-impact programs.”
Of Go, she said: “Secretary Go has played a central role in advancing investments, strengthening investor confidence, and aligning economic initiatives across agencies.”
Budget Undersecretary Rolando Toledo will serve as officer-in-charge of the Department of Budget and Management following Pangandaman’s exit.
The dramatic reshuffle happened even as Recto and Pangandaman were at the Senate for budget deliberations on the 2026 national budget. Senator Erwin Tulfo publicly congratulated Recto minutes after the Palace announcement.
Bersamin, a former chief justice, had long been rumored to be on the chopping block. Speculation peaked in May when Marcos asked the entire Cabinet to submit courtesy resignations as part of a “bold reset” following the administration’s disastrous showing in the 2025 midterm elections. Bersamin survived that purge — until now.
Before his resignation, Bersamin had repeatedly denied allegations raised by former public works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who claimed in a sworn statement that a “15% agreed commitment” from anomalous flood control projects was supposedly earmarked for the Office of the Executive Secretary.
The latest shake-up comes as the Marcos administration is engulfed by the very anti-corruption campaign it promised to lead. Corruption concerns were also cited as among the reasons for the country’s weaker-than-projected third-quarter economic performance — the slowest in four years.
Compounding the turmoil is the explosive allegation by Marcos ally Zaldy Co, former House appropriations chair, who claimed the President himself ordered ₱100 billion in budget insertions during bicameral deliberations. Co said he was informed of these orders by Palace officials, including Adrian Bersamin, a relative of Lucas Bersamin.
The resignations mark the most significant disruption in Marcos’ core circle since he took office. The Executive Secretary is the most powerful unelected position in government, and Bersamin has been central to Palace operations since 2022.
Recto’s appointment signals a shift toward technocratic management as the Palace braces for economic headwinds, internal fissures, and cascading corruption controversies.
The administration is expected to release further guidance on the transition in the coming days.