Salceda takes oath as Marcos’ PLLO chief with secretary rank

Former Albay Rep. Joey Salceda takes his oath as the new Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Secretary before Executive Secretary Ralph Recto in Malacañang on July 22, 2026. —PHOTO FROM SALCEDA FB PAGE. MANILA, Philippines — Former Albay Rep. Joey Salceda on Wednesday formally assumed office as chief of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO), with the rank of secretary rather than the supposed undersecretary. Salceda took his oath of office before Executive Secretary Ralph Recto in Malacañang. Malacañang confirmed on Tuesday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Salceda as PLLO secretary, more than a month after the veteran Bicolano lawmaker himself hinted at “taking a very high position in the administration.” Article continues after this advertisement As the new head of the PLLO, Salceda shall serve as the conduit between Malacañang and Congress, primarily tasked with monitoring the progress and eventual passage of Marcos’ priority legislation. READ: Joey Salceda is Marcos’ new PLLO chief This marked Salceda’s return to the Cabinet after almost two decades, when he was appointed presidential chief of staff in 2007 by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. “The most important resource of this administration is time. And with precious time and enduring support for the president in Congress, I humbly accept the immense challenge of passing the remaining major items of the president’s policy agenda,” Salceda said in a statement. “I also hope to serve as a bridge of the president for the wisdom, talent, and insight of the private sector, the academe, and broader civil society,” he added. Article continues after this advertisement Salceda thanked Marcos for his trust and confidence, as well as Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, a longtime colleague in the House of Representatives, for his guidance. “The mandate given to me is to reform and transform the PLLO into a genuine policy office of the president,” Salceda said. Article continues after this advertisement Salceda’s appointment comes “at a crucial time,” before Marcos delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address and the submission of the president’s budget to Congress — both of which will define the administration’s legislative agenda in the two remaining years of the president’s term. Prior to Salceda’s appointment, the PLLO was under the Office of the Executive Secretary and was headed by an undersecretary, assisted by two assistant secretaries for the House of Representatives and Senate under Executive Order No. 90, issued by Marcos in May 2025. However, Marcos has not issued a new EO reorganizing the PLLO. His recent expansion of his Cabinet was criticized for what critics deemed to be doing things in the wrong order, specifically by naming a head of an office without a formal order outlining its mandate. READ: Marcos restores Cabinet Secretary post, gives it to Abalos Earlier this month, when Marcos appointed former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos as his Cabinet secretary, many questioned whether Marcos had already issued an EO reviving the Office of the Cabinet Secretary (OCS). Marcos abolished the OCS, along with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, through EO 1, the very first EO he issued when he took his oath of office on June 30, 2022. All of the powers and functions of the OCS were transferred to the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), which is also headed by a Cabinet member with the rank of secretary. Marcos, however, has yet to issue a new EO reviving the OCS and delineating its functions from those of the PMS and the OES. The PLLO has been without a permanent chief since November last year, when then-Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin resigned after being dragged into the controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in flood control allocations. The younger Bersamin, a nephew of former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, was among the officials linked by resigned congressman Zaldy Co to the alleged P100-billion budget insertion controversy involving the 2025 national budget. READ: Bersamin, budget chief out in Cabinet shake-up Widely regarded as one of the country’s foremost economists, Salceda represented Albay’s second district from 2016 to 2025 and also served as a congressman from 1998 to 2007. He was governor of Albay from 2007 to 2016. Salceda sought a political comeback in the 2025 elections by running for governor of Albay but lost to former governor Noel Rosal. During his time as a member of the House of Representatives, Salceda chaired a number of its most powerful committees, including appropriations, ways and means, economic affairs, and trade and industry. In Congress, Salceda was well-regarded as the House’s resident economist. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. The Supreme Court recently called on Salceda to serve as amicus curiae on budget issues, alongside the most senior figures in public financial management. /mcm