In just three years, the Palace has gone through four, and is now on its fifth try at finding the perfect Secretary for the Presidential Communications Office (PCO, formerly Press Secretary) for the Marcos Jr. administration.

It is the job of the PCO Secretary to package and present a good visual of the administration to keep its momentum going into the next presidential election so the outgoing president will have a considerable say in who will succeed him.

While the disappointing performance of the administration’s Senate slate in the May midterm elections was largely attributed to the ineptitude of Alyansa’s campaign manager, Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco, it cannot be denied that the sharp decline in the President’s approval rating affected his influence and endorsement power. But erstwhile PCO Secretary Jay Ruiz could not get PBBM’s ratings up in time for election day so he had to go.

Marcos Sr. and the old man Duterte had one thing in common — they were both populist presidents. While Marcos Sr.’s popularity dwindled in the years leading to his ouster, it cannot be denied that he and FPRRD had the same cult-like following in their loyal supporters even after their terms had ended.

However, it is unfortunate that Marcos Jr. has been unable to live up to the expectations of loyalty and devotion from his supporters. Meanwhile, beleaguered VP Sara Duterte has managed to consolidate and maintain the support for the Dutertes.

It boggles the mind how up to today, the Palace has not been able to engage a good spin doctor. Going into the 4th State of the Nation Address (SoNA), Malacañang should have already been able to find a good public relations expert to give advice on how to endear the sitting President to the masses and paint his administration in a positive light.

As it stands, Marcos Jr.’s administration will be best remembered for sending a popular former president to face trial in The Hague. While it’s not the first time that a sitting president has sent a former or ousted president to detention — Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) did it to Joseph Estrada, and Benigno Aquino Jr. to GMA — the backlash on PBBM for the move has been unprecedented.

Secretary Jay Ruiz seemed to have been overshadowed by his own undersecretary who was the one facing the public and taking questions from the Palace Press corps. While Undersecretary Claire Castro has been unfazed and unapologetic with the media, she does not have the wherewithal to deflect issues and craft an effective and disciplined messaging that highlight the positive accomplishments and policies of the Marcos administration. Perhaps the Palace could consider having the PCO Secretary and spokesperson in one person to consolidate its credibility and increase the effectiveness of its messaging.

Just weeks before the SoNA, the Palace has on-boarded a new PCO Secretary. It doesn’t seem like Undersecretary Castro is going to be set aside. That said, the new PCO Secretary’s political acumen and PR finesse will be tested by how he will handle the incident linking the First Lady to the death of a prominent business scion from an accidental drug overdose — especially since no other than presidential sister, Senator Imee Marcos, has dared the Palace to comment on alleged official documents saying the First Lady was present at the time of the death.