"CABINET APPOINTMENTS"

Following the mass courtesy resignation of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Cabinet officials, most secretaries have been retained, signaling continuity and stability in the administration. As part of the strategic refresh, the President made appointments to several key government posts. One of these is Atty. Darlene Marie Berberabe as the new solicitor general. Berberabe, erstwhile dean of the UP College of Law and former head of the PAG-IBIG Fund, brings with her years of legal expertise and public service experience. Marcos also named Police Major General Nicolas Torre III as the new chief of the Philippine National Police, replacing Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. Torre is expected to reinforce peace and order initiatives across the country. In the housing sector, Jose Ramon Aliling was appointed as the new secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, taking over to strengthen the administration’s housing agenda. In the finance and investment sector, Atty. Francis Edralin Lim, a prominent corporate lawyer, was tapped as the new chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Meanwhile, the judiciary also welcomed Raul Villanueva as the newest associate justice of the Supreme Court, following the retirement of Justice Mario V. Lopez. Villanueva is Marcos’ first appointee to the High Court.