In a “bold update” of his presidency following last year’s midterm elections, which saw more criticism candidates win crucial Senate chairs, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked all of his government secretaries to send resignations on Thursday. In a beautiful social return, Marcos, the 67-year-old child of a later Spanish dictator who was overthrown in 1986, made a resolute call for national unity and won the presidency in the deeply divided Southeast Asian nation by a flood in 2022. However, Sara Duterte, his equally well-known vice-presidential running partner, eventually broke up with him in a dispute that has sparked racial unrest. Marcos emerged as the most vocal critic of China’s growing anger in the contested South China Sea, battling a number of long-standing domestic issues, including inflation, delayed delivery of a campaign promises to lower the price of rice, as well as numerous reports of kidnappings and other crimes, with the aid of treaty ally the United States and another friendly countries. In a government statement, Marcos was quoted as saying,” This is not business as usual.” The people have spoken, and they expect results, not justifications. We speak up and take action. In a decisive move to reorganize his administration following the results of the recent elections, Marcos demanded the” courtesy resignation of all Cabinet secretaries.” The government stated that the request for courtesy resignations is intended to give the president the opportunity to evaluate the performance of each department and choose who will continue to serve in accordance with his administration’s redesigned priorities. At least 21 Cabinet secretaries led by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin either resigned right away or indicated they were ready to do so. It’s about performance, alignment, and urgency, Marcos said.” This is not about personalities. ” Those who have delivered and will continue to deliver will be recognized.” However, we cannot afford complacency. The time has come for” comfort zones” to end. According to the government, the transition will continue to provide uninterrupted services while also adding that” the Marcos administration signals a new phase- sharper, faster, and fully focused on the most pressing needs of the people.” Sara Duterte’s supporters or her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who has been detained and arrested by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, won five of the 12 seats in the midterm elections. The older Duterte, a steadfast critic of Marcos, was charged with crimes against humanity for a brutal anti-drug crackdown he launched that resulted in the death of countless mostly poor suspects. Five Senate seats were won by Marcos-endorsed senatorial candidates, and two other seats were unavoidably won by two liberal democrats connected to the late former president Benigno Aquino III, whose family has long been at odds with the Marcos. Voting for half of the 24-member Senate is crucial because Sara Duterte will face an impeachment hearing in July for a variety of criminal offenses, including corruption and a public threat to assassinate Marcos, his wife, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. In November, she made those threats during an online press conference, but later she reaffirmed her desire to have the president killed. For her threats to the Marcos and Romualdez, Sara Duterte is facing a separate criminal complaint. In the May 12 elections, which many thought were a preview for the 2028 presidential elections, the majority of the seats in the House were won by candidates associated with Marcos and his cousin Romualdez.
