Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Thursday said the resignation of three Cabinet members was just the Marcos administration’s “birthing pains”.

This comes after Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez, and Commission on Audit Chairman Jose Calida recently stepped down from their posts.

In a press conference, Zubiri said: “It’s birthing pains. Baby steps. So, it is the president’s prerogative. I don’t want to comment about what’s happening in the Palace because it is the president’s sole prerogative of what he does to his alter egos. And I don’t want to speculate why they were removed or for the newly-appointed, I don’t want to speculate why. That’s the president’s prerogative.”

Zubiri, a member of the Commission on Appointments, said they were not able to take up the appointment of Calida because of health problems.

“I think the problem with chairman Calida is his health. His health problem. I’ve already met with him. We already had a meeting in the office. I already assured him of our cooperation with the hearings that we’ll make sure to hear his confirmation hearings as soon as possible. But unfortunately, when the time had come when we could tackle this particular appointment, he was on a health leave,” he said.

Zubiri said Rodriguez had never submitted a single document to the Commission on Appointments.

He said they were unable to tackle Cruz-Angeles’ appointment because “maybe her documents were not complete or she was unprepared.”

Cruz-Angeles quit on Tuesday citing health reasons while Rodriguez resigned on September 17. Jaspearl Tan/DMS