Revamp Cabinet, ally urges Aquino

MANILA, Philippines–President Aquino should consider overhauling his Cabinet to boost his sagging trust ratings, which have taken a big hit from the botched Mamasapano mission.

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said the President should demand the courtesy resignation of all his Cabinet officials to give him a “clean slate” in his last 15 months in office.

“It’s about time that the Cabinet was given a chance to have a new perspective. The courtesy resignation will enable the President to think about improving the kind of persons who will help him pursue his agenda for the last few months of his term,” said Erice in a text message.

Erice said that the fallout from the President’s lapse in judgment in the failed Mamasapano mission has taken its toll on his confidence ratings and he needed to do something drastic to regain some ground.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano, a member of the independent minority bloc, said that he supported a massive revamp in the Cabinet as long as all of the Cabinet members resigned from their posts. Albano said this would benefit the Liberal Party as it would be able to put its trusted people in key posts ahead of the elections.

Erice said the drop in the President’s ratings should serve as a “wake up call” to Cabinet members who have not performed in their respective positions.

But he did not say who should ago among the Cabinet members. “I think that given the chance, [Interior] Secretary Mar Roxas will sink and swim with the President till his term ends,” said Erice, who was the most vocal supporter of Roxas’ anticipated run for president in 2016.–Gil Cabacungan