Two of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s most senior cabinet members have resigned, as mass protests and corruption allegations intensify pressure on his embattled administration over the widening flood control corruption scandal.
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Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman quit late on Monday, days after being implicated in the scandal by fugitive ex-lawmaker and former Marcos ally Zaldy Co.
The resignations came as a rally, which started on Sunday and was led by the religious sect Iglesia ni Kristo (INC) in Manila’s Luneta, swelled by Monday evening to an estimated 600,000 crowd, according to the Manila Police District. INC said it would no longer continue the rally until Wednesday because “the people are already tired”.
A separate rally on Monday by supporters of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio and her family also took place at the People Power Monument in suburban Quezon City along Edsa Highway but with a lesser crowd.
Late on Monday, Marcos named finance chief Ralph Recto as his new executive secretary, while Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go would now head the Department of Finance.
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