Palace: No talk of Cabinet revamp

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Caloocan Representative Edgar “Egay” Erice should not count on a Cabinet revamp anytime soon, Malacañang said Wednesday.

“On the revamp…he (President Benigno Aquino III) has not mentioned anything,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said of her meeting with the President.

Erice, a Liberal Party member and close ally of Aquino, suggested replacing Cabinet members to help the administration recover from the flak it has been receiving after the Mamasapano debacle, which resulted in the deaths of 44 policemen, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and five civilians.

The congressman said Cabinet members could also file their courtesy resignation to give Aquino a fresh start amid his falling trust and approval ratings.

READ: Pulse Asia: Aquino trust, approval ratings at their lowest after Mamasapano incident

Valte, on the other hand, said, “I will leave it to the concerned Cabinet officials to respond to Congressman Egay on his call for them to file courtesy resignation.”

The undersecretary also pointed out that Aquino “does not govern by the surveys alone,” echoing earlier statements from Malacañang on the ratings slump.