Former senator Francis Tolentino has officially been appointed as the Acting Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Malacañang confirmed on Monday. Tolentino replaces Bienvenido Laguesma, who served as Labor chief since June 2022 before stepping down due to health concerns requiring his full attention. The appointment came after the one-year ban on appointing candidates who lost in the 2025 elections officially expired earlier this month. In his farewell