Marcos reappoints bypassed DMW head

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has reappointed Hans Leo Cacdac as ad interim secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) after the Commission on Appointments (CA) deferred his confirmation because of lack of time.

“The reappointment of Cacdac, indicated in a list of presidential appointees released by Malacañang on Friday, demonstrates President Marcos’ continued trust and confidence in the official,” Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement yesterday.

Garafil noted that the second regular session of the 19th Congress adjourned sine die last Thursday, prompting the CA to defer the DMW chief’s confirmation.

Last Tuesday, SAGIP party-List Rep. Rodante Marcoleta filed a motion to suspend the deliberation on the appointment of Cacdac.

The lawmaker said he wanted to tackle some concerns related to the DMW chief’s appointment.

Marcos named Cacdac as DMW secretary last April 25. The migrant workers secretary was designated as officer-in-charge of the agency after the death of former DMW secretary Susan “Toots” Ople in August last year.

Before his ad interim appointment in the Cabinet, Cacdac handled several posts related to the concerns of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

He was executive director V of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, executive director V of the Philippine Employment Administration (POEA) and labor undersecretary.

Cacdac also served as POEA deputy executive director V, executive director IV of the National Conciliation Mediation Board and director IV of the Bureau of Labor Relations.

He was also associate lawyer and urban poor unit coordinator of the Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal.

The DMW was formed through Republic Act 11641 signed by former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2021.

For his part, Cacdac has expressed gratitude to Marcos following his reappointment as ad interim secretary of the DMW.

“With a deep sense of gratitude and humility, I receive news of my reappointment by the President as ad interim secretary of the DMW. I am profoundly thankful to the President for his trust and confidence in my competence and abilities,” Cacdac said in a statement.

“As a united DMW family, we pledge to uphold the mandate entrusted to us by the President and the Constitution. We are the primary guardians of the rights, welfare and protection of our OFWs. With utmost integrity and transparency, we will seek justice for our aggrieved OFWs,” he added.

Cacdac also emphasized that the DMW’s commitment extends to “creating a rights-based environment that ensures fair, safe and ethical labor mobility, covering every phase of OFWs’ migration journey.” — Rhodina Villanueva