[Rappler’s Best] Marcos’ first choice

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'There are, indeed, several movements and incidents worth highlighting beyond the President’s miserable midterm results or his waving of the olive branch (or white flag?) to the Dutertes, or his ask for the mass resignation of his Cabinet'

Buried in the more than four dozens of Cabinet resignation letters submitted last week to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is the fact that he will soon be naming two critical appointments: his first pick in the Supreme Court next month, and the replacement of Ombudsman Samuel Martires, a controversial Duterte appointee who is — finally — retiring in July.

The Judicial and Bar Council has just finished its four public interviews for nominees to the seat that will be vacated on June 7 by retiring associate justice Mario Lopez. It will be Marcos’ first Supreme Court appointment. The High Court is dominated by appointees of former president Rodrigo Duterte, and only two remain from the picks of the late president Noynoy Aquino.

In this two-part series, Jairo Bolledo introduces us to 16 applicants to become SC justice. Our sources, however, said this number may be down to just 15 because the President has reportedly decided to accept the resignation of Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra and is eyeing to replace him with one of the SC applicants: UP College of Law Dean Darlene Marie Berberabe.

Pending with the High Court, among key cases, are the petitions of Vice President Sara Duterte and Mindanao lawyers to stop her impeachment trial. Can a court packed with Duterte appointees render an impartial ruling, asked Thought Leader Joey Salgado in this piece. The Senate is scheduled to convene as an impeachment court next week, on June 3.

On the other hand, the Ombudsman is reaching the end of his seven-year term. Will Marcos choose from any of his resigned Cabinet secretaries? Or will he look far and wide for someone who will professionalize, not politicize, the office that is tasked to ensure honesty in government service and punishment for crooks?

There are, indeed, several movements and incidents worth highlighting beyond the President’s miserable midterm results or his waving of the olive branch (or white flag?) to the Dutertes, or his ask for the mass resignation of his Cabinet. 

But do check who’s in and who’s out in the President’s official family. We will see another round of hiring and firing this week, as promised by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. Bea Cupin provides context in this recap.

And if the past midterm elections reflected a glass that is half-empty for Marcos, it appears to be half-full for the progressive sector.

• In this paper that studies six election maps, Monica Ang-Tan and Majahlia Coco Quimpo of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung note shifts in the midterm results that “suggest cracks in old structures and openings that did not exist before.” They add: “If 2025 proved anything, it is that change is possible but not guaranteed. The same conditions that allowed for breakthroughs also threaten to absorb them.” Read all about it here.
• Can a progressive opposition break through entrenched dynasties and feudal power structures? Bonz Magsambol tackles the issue.
• In New York, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa sits down with come-from-behind winner Senator-elect Francis Pangilinan. How did he beat the odds, and how does he see his mandate? 

Here are some of Rappler’s bests that you shouldn’t miss:

• Val Villanueva and Den Somera walk us through the hallowed-out real estate shell of billionaire Manny Villar, and the astonishing story of his Villar Land Holdings Corporation.
• Isagani de Castro Jr. answers the question in your head each time you see them in the grocery: Why are there personalized Coke bottles?
• Delfin Dioquino reports from Ilocos Norte, which is hosting this year’s Palarong Pambansa for the first time in nearly six decades. Eastern Visayas captures the first gold. Which regions have dominated the games over time? James Patrick Cruz tracks the numbers. Here’s the medal tally.
• Johannes Bruwer, head of delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross Philippines, points out that while significant work has been made for victims of the Marawi siege, families of missing people continue to suffer from lack of support and attention. Read Bruwer’s piece here.
• Bonz Magsambol reminds us that, yes, it’s a family affair in the Senate.

– Rappler.com

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