FACT CHECK: Jonvic Remulla remains DILG chief

Claim: Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla will be replaced by former DILG chief Benhur Abalos amid rumors of an impending Cabinet shakeup.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The video was posted on June 17 by the YouTube channel “Streetwise with Takeru Miyamoto,” which currently has more than 202,000 subscribers. The video has gained more than 1,800 likes, 200 comments, and 31,000 views as of writing.

The video’s title, introduction, and thumbnail claim that Remulla will be removed from the DILG and will be replaced by Abalos. The video’s narrator also claims that other government agencies, such as the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Transportation, can expect similar leadership changes.

Users voiced their thoughts in the comment section, with some supporting the replacement while others disagreed.

The facts: Remulla remains the interior secretary, as shown on the official DILG website. There have been no announcements from Malacañang about Remulla’s replacement or Abalos taking over the post.

In May, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. already went on record to clarify that he has no plan to replace Remulla and that he remains satisfied with Remulla’s performance despite the failed arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

However, Marcos did mention in June that he wants Abalos back and playing an active role in government, but added that he would not replace a Cabinet member. (READ: Is Benhur Abalos making a Cabinet comeback?)

Remulla replaced Abalos as DILG chief in October 2024, with Marcos saying he “fits the bill of a DILG leader the nation needs today.” At the time, Abalos resigned from his DILG post to seek a Senate seat in the 2025 polls, filing his certificate of candidacy on the same day.

Cabinet shakeup rumors: Rumors of a Cabinet shakeup have been floating around for months, but these have been denied by Marcos himself and Palace press officer Claire Castro. 

The most recent leadership change was made by the Marcos administration last May, with the appointment of former senator Francis Tolentino as labor secretary and Kim Robert de Leon as budget chief, the latter becoming the “youngest member of the [Marcos] Cabinet.” 

Rappler has previously debunked false claims revolving around the Marcos Cabinet officials:

• FACT CHECK: Health secretary Herbosa did not endorse milk product as cancer cure
• FACT CHECK: Remulla denies statement urging the public to ‘move on’ from flood control controversies
• FACT CHECK: DILG’s Remulla not resigning from Marcos Cabinet over flood control mess

– Lourence Angelo Marcellana/Rappler.com

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