President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Friday, May 29, 2026, that qualified candidates who lost in the 2025 elections can now be appointed to government positions, as the one-year appointment ban for election candidates has expired.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Japan before returning to Manila, Marcos said that many of the losing candidates from the previous election have the capability to serve the government, and emphasized that their talents should not be wasted despite their electoral defeat.
“There are many talented individuals out there. I’m not talking just about senatorial candidates. There are many others who ran for various positions whom I believe are capable and can contribute to the government,” the president said.
Section 6, Article 9 (b) of the 1987 Constitution prohibits the appointment of losing candidates to government positions within one year after the election to prevent unfair advantage or political influence. Marcos noted that the lifting of the ban gives the executive branch an opportunity to consider appointing losing candidates from 2025, provided they meet the required qualifications.
The end of the one-year appointment ban paves the way for former Senator Francis Tolentino to head the Department of Labor and Employment as acting secretary.
