MANILA, Philippines – In a scene that might as well have come straight out of an episode of Veep, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin punctuated a major announcement from the Palace with a nervous quip: “Okay, nakaka-tense.” (Okay, this is quite tense.)
It was met with laughter inside the Presidential Guest House on Friday, May 23, but the day called for serious business. Bersamin had just announced the first in what’s been touted as a shakeup in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s official family, just a week after the administration’s devastating loss in the midterm elections and months after a Pulse Asia survey reported big disapproval ratings for the President.
“Alam ninyo, ganitong mga announcement eh very critical, crucial sa atin. Eh iyon pala mga subjects nito, kagaya ko, ay magkakasama kami nang matagal ‘no. Mahirap namang ma-overlook iyong mga ganyan,” he added. (You see, these announcements are very critical, crucial to us. Because its subjects, just like me, have been working together for so long. It’s hard to overlook these things.)
After delivering the good news — the five-person economic team and himself were staying on — Bersamin announced that Secretary Enrique Manalo would be replaced, and would take over the post of retiring ambassador Antonio Lagdameo as the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
“Ganyan kahalaga iyong position na iyan. Iyong position na iyan ay napakataas sa pagtingin ng ating Pangulo kaya si Secretary Manalo mismo ang ilalagay natin diyan na kapalit ni Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo effective August 1,” said Bersamin. (The position is that important. The President sees the value of this post so Secretary Manalo himself will be replacing Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo effective August 1.)
To a community of people concerned with and connected to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Malaysia from Monday, May 26, to Tuesday, May 27, would the shakeup mean a different entourage for President Marcos?
Manalo’s impending move to New York meant that in Malaysia, the Philippine delegation counts both the outgoing and incoming secretary of foreign affairs as its members.
It’s a unique situation. Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, who is set to replace Manalo on July 31, currently handles bilateral relations and ASEAN. Both veteran diplomats arrived in Malaysia ahead of the President, with Lazaro representing the Philippines at the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting on Saturday, May 24, and Manalo joining the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting on Sunday, May 25.
The President arrived in Malaysia on Sunday, ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.
ASEAN concerns
What sort of issues await Undersecretary Lazaro when she assumes the post?
The stickiest issues in the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur include tensions in the region, competition between the US and China, US President Donald Trump’s unilateral tariffs, the situation in junta-ruled Myanmar, and the decades-old dream for a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea (COC) between the bloc and China.
Lazaro is no stranger to these concerns, of course. As undersecretary for bilateral relations and ASEAN affairs, she’s been a major player in all these discussions and debates.
In a way, Lazaro’s appointment could signal continuity. She led negotiations for the provisional understanding between Manila and Beijing over resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal. It’s Lazaro who’s been leading the Philippine delegation in the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea under President Marcos.
Lazaro was also in Malaysia early for the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council-China Senior Officials Meeting, ahead of the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit and the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit, which are all being held in Kuala Lumpur. The GCC is composed of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Beijing sees its inaugural meeting with the two regional blocs as one that could “unlock immense potential for multilateral cooperation across sectors and inject stability into the world economy,” according to Chinese state media Global Times.
It’s an interesting push as countries all over the world feel the pinch of Trump’s myopic interpretation of “America First.”
But the long list of things that have brought us to interesting times doesn’t stop there. The Philippines is still in the middle of trying to bring down Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” — among the lowest in the region at 17%. Philippine economic managers see more value in bilateral negotiations, we’re told, although discussions in and among ASEAN neighbors are still important. Perhaps this was one of the cases for keeping the economic team intact.
Tensions have simmered down in Ayungin Shoal, though Philippine security and defense officials have made public, on a near-weekly basis, incidents of Beijing’s bullying in other parts of the West Philippine Sea.
“Geopolitical tensions, unexpected trade barriers, and the unprecedented impact of climate change have the potential to disrupt our communities, supply chains, and remove our hard-earned progress,” said Marcos in his intervention at the 46th ASEAN Summit Plenary, or the first meeting between ASEAN leaders.
The Philippines also continues to push for the conclusion of the COC. Will we see its conclusion when it’s the Philippines’ turn to chair ASEAN in 2026? A maritime security forum hosted in Pasay City last week held a quick and informal poll on prospects for a COC, and most said it will “never be completed.”
But most importantly, will Marcos’ Cabinet shakeup — beginning with foreign affairs, environment, energy, and housing — help him do better in the last half of his term? – Rappler.com