Without being repetitive, The Bridge fully supports the reinstatement of Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Cris Aldeguer Roque because the direction and accomplishments of the department the last two years are enough argument for it.

At the moment, we believe PBBM is correct in moving some of his Cabinet members around and maintaining their secretary-level appointments, perhaps to satisfy their egos.

But as expected, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra was booted out and immediately replaced by a Batangueña and top-rated lawyer, Darlene Berberabe, who was commissioner at the Governance Commission for Government Corporations (GCG). We’re just guessing but, perhaps, the administration thought Guevarra wasn’t a team player, notably for his stand on the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Well, Guevarra perhaps believed his argument was correct. I wouldn’t comment on the issue, being a non-practitioner, but if one gathers 100 lawyers and asks them their respective stands, there would be disagreement and agreement. Lawyers say that’s the beauty of the law. Everyone has his or her own interpretation on any provision of law. Everyone believes he or she is right.

Last Friday, 30 May, the President reappointed Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro, DoJ’s Crispin Remulla, and DILG’s Jonvic Remulla proving how important the three are to the Marcos administration. It’s hard to speculate if NSC’s Eduardo Año will be up there again. If that happens, the quad whom Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed planned the banishment of FPRRD to The Hague will complete the cast.

Well, whatever transpired then on the issue of the former president is past, though it remains a huge, persisting national or international issue and the subject of worldwide protests, which is unprecedented in Philippine history. Whether or not the act of the Marcos administration was correct, history will judge.

By any measure, the entry of five, or half, of the DuterTen candidates in the Senate clearly manifests how the mass of people or voters think about the banishment of their former leader and the governance of Pres Marcos Jr. It was essentially a verdict on how this government performed in the last three years.

Not unrelated, PBBM is now sounding off his intent to reconcile with the Dutertes. It’s a good step; it makes sense if it’s for real and not merely propaganda. Of course, as Senator Bong Go stressed, the best scale of honesty or sincerity of the gesture is a condition that Marcos Jr. should work for FPRRD’s reunion with his countrymen, the Filipinos.

The ongoing reshuffle of the Cabinet will hopefully see the light of good governance with the right people in and the impotent not reappointed.

One of the issues is corruption, which is the norm under Secretary Manuel Bonoan of the DPWH. There should also be someone better than the guys at the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Coconut Authority, Philippine Ports Authority, and some other agencies.

It’s welcome news, of course, the removal of the DENR chief by the President. It was most welcome as she didn’t do anything on the issue of water permits in the province of Bohol, among many other things.

In Quezon province, despite a ban, quarrying in Sariaya town continues in broad daylight and into the middle of the night.