President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed former Interior Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. as Cabinet secretary, Malacañang announced Wednesday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Abalos was scheduled to take his oath of office Wednesday afternoon.
As Cabinet secretary, Abalos will provide the President with timely and strategic advice on national, local and international political issues, Castro said.
She added that Abalos will also serve as the President’s liaison with national government agencies, local government units, political organizations, civil society groups and other stakeholders on matters of political concern, as directed by the Chief Executive.
Abalos will also head the Strategic Action and Response Office and exercise supervision over its constituent offices.
The Office of the Cabinet Secretary was abolished in 2022 under Executive Order No. 1, which reorganized the Office of the President and placed the Cabinet Secretariat under the Presidential Management Staff.
Malacañang has yet to clarify whether a new executive order has been issued to reconstitute the Office of the Cabinet Secretary.
Abalos served as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government from 2022 until October 2024, when he resigned to run for the Senate under the administration-backed slate. He finished 16th in the 2025 senatorial elections.
