Malacañang on Monday announced the appointment of former senator Francis Tolentino as acting secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment, as the Palace simultaneously defended President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against attacks from the Duterte camp and addressed the possibility of additional International Criminal Court arrest warrants.
During a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed that Marcos had appointed Tolentino to lead DOLE following the reported health-related departure of Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma.
“President Marcos Jr. believes that incoming Acting Secretary Tolentino will lead DOLE because of his ability and extensive experience in holding important positions in local and national government,” Castro said.
Tolentino, a former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman and senator, unsuccessfully sought reelection in the 2025 midterm elections under the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate. His campaign heavily focused on the West Philippine Sea dispute and Philippine sovereignty issues involving China.
In July 2025, the Chinese government banned Tolentino from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau over what Beijing described as his “egregious conduct on China-related issues.” Tolentino later described the sanction as a “badge of honor,” saying it reflected his efforts to defend Philippine interests in the South China Sea.
Castro said Laguesma’s replacement was due to his health condition but declined to confirm whether the outgoing labor chief would receive another government appointment.
The announcement came amid intensifying political tensions between the Marcos administration and the Duterte family, particularly after Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte accused Marcos over the weekend of allegedly bringing back criminality, drugs, and corruption while supposedly seeking to extend his term.
Castro dismissed the allegations and accused Duterte allies of spreading false narratives against the administration.
“We cannot blame them if they are blind and deaf to what the President is doing,” Castro said in Filipino. “But this is what they and their allies are saying over and over again in order to deceive the people with their lies.”
The Palace also pushed back against claims by Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte that the city supposedly received “zero budget” from the national government over the past four years.
Citing Department of Budget and Management data, Castro said Davao City received at least P7.856 billion in national government support between 2023 and 2026, including infrastructure, transportation, education, and health-related projects.
Meanwhile, Castro acknowledged that the government expects more ICC arrest warrants to be issued against alleged “co-perpetrators” linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
“It is expected that more warrants of arrest will be issued because there are more co-perpetrators,” Castro said.
However, she declined to speculate on how authorities would respond should warrants be issued against sitting senators.
“For now, we cannot answer because we do not want to speculate,” Castro said.
Castro insisted that the government would continue to follow legal procedures and denied that the administration was targeting Davao or political opponents.
“The law does not choose anyone,” she said in Filipino.
