Marcos eyes 'bold reset' of government

CABINET MEMBERS, including state economic managers, submitted their courtesy resignations on Thursday as part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.'s “bold reset” of the government to better meet the needs of Filipinos.

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The move comes following the poor performance of administration-backed senatorial candidates in the May 12 midterm elections, and amid global uncertainties due to trade concerns that could threaten the Philippine economy.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the request for resignations will give Mr. Marcos “elbow room to evaluate the performance of each department and determine who will continue to serve in line with his administration’s recalibrated priorities.”

“With this bold reset, the Marcos administration signals a new phase — sharper, faster, and fully focused on the people’s most pressing needs,” it said.

"It's time to realign government with the people's expectations. This is not business as usual," Mr. Marcos said in the statement. "The people have spoken, and they expect results, not politics, not excuses. We hear them, and we will act." Officials will continue to perform their duties until their resignations are accepted, or new appointments are made by the President.

The President's allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the May 12 polls, leaving Mr. Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028.

Candidates aligned with Mr. Marcos' estranged vice-president, Sara Duterte-Carpio, outperformed expectations in the midterms, which many saw as a proxy battle between Marcos and the Duterte camps.

With less than three years in office left, Mr. Marcos is under pressure to deliver results and groom a successor capable of fending off any potential run by the popular Ms. DuterteCarpio in the 2028 presidential election.

Over 30 Cabinet-level officials tendered their courtesy resignations, including economic managers Finance Secretary Ralph G.