President's inner circle: What's a cabinet secretary and how are they appointed?

MANILA, Philippines — In the Philippines, the president fulfills his role as chief executive by appointing cabinet secretaries, who serve as his alter egos in government.

There are 23 departments under the executive branch, all of which fall under the president’s control and supervision. Each department is headed by a cabinet secretary, who leads a government agency and helps implement the administration’s policies and programs.

A cabinet secretary is the head of a government agency within the executive department. This group currently includes the secretaries of 23 executive departments, along with the heads of several other minor agencies and offices that are directly subordinate to the president.

Cabinet secretaries hold their positions by presidential appointment, as outlined in the 1987 Constitution:

"SECTION 16. The President shall nominate and, with the consent of the Commission on Appointments, appoint the heads of the executive departments, ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, or officers of the armed forces from the rank of colonel or naval captain, and other officers whose appointments are vested in him in this Constitution. He shall also appoint all other officers of the Government whose appointments are not otherwise provided for by law, and those whom he may be authorized by law to appoint.

"The Congress may, by law, vest the appointment of other officers lower in rank in the President alone, in the courts, or in the heads of departments, agencies, commissions, or boards."

Once the president nominates a cabinet secretary, the appointment must be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments. This body consists of the Senate President as ex-officio chairman, along with twelve members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The vice president may also be appointed as a member of the cabinet. The Constitution provides an exception: if the president appoints the vice president to the cabinet, confirmation from the Commission on Appointments is not required.

Temporary appointments made by the president do not need confirmation from the Commission on Appointments.