MANILA, Philippines, May 22, (AP): Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked all of his Cabinet secretaries to submit resignations on Thursday in a "bold reset” of his administration following last week’s mid-term elections, which saw more opposition candidates win crucial Senate seats. Marcos, the 67-year-old son of a late Philippine dictator overthrown in 1986, won the presidency in the deeply divided Southeast Asian country by a landslide in 2022 in a stunning political comeback as he made a steadfast call for national unity.

But his equally popular vice-presidential running mate, Sara Duterte, later broke from him in a falling out that has sparked intense political discord. With support from treaty ally the United States and other friendly countries, Marcos emerged as the most vocal critic of China ’s growing aggression in the disputed South China Sea while contending with an array of longstanding domestic issues, including inflation - and delayed fulfillment of a campaign promise to bring down the price of rice - as well as many reports of kidnappings and other crimes.

"This is not business as usual,” Marcos was cited as saying in a government statement. "The people have spoken and they expect results - not politics, not excuses. We hear them and we will act.” Marcos called for the "courtesy resignation of all Cabinet secretaries in a decisive move to recalibrate his administration following the results of the recent elections,” the government statement said.

"The request for courtesy resignations is aimed at giving the president the elbow room to evaluate the performance of each department and determine who will continue to serve in line with his administration’s recalibrated priorities,” the government said. At least 21 Cabinet secretaries led by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin either immediately submitted their resignations or expressed their readiness to do so.

"This is not about personalities - it’s about performance, alignment and urgency,” Marcos said. "Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognized. But we cannot afford to be complacent. The time for comfort zones is over.” Government services will remain uninterrupted during the transition, the government said, adding that "with this bold reset, the Marcos administration signals a new phase - sharper, faster and fully focused on the people’s most pressing needs."