US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) shakes hands with Philippines' Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo (R) during a joint press conference in Manila, Philippines, 19 March 2024. During his visit to Manila, the US Secretary of State is expected to hold talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on issues of boosting ties and cooperativity between the two countries. EPA-EFE/ELOISA LOPEZ / POOL The sweeping directive comes just over a week after a disappointing midterm election for the administration, widely seen as a referendum on Marcos' leadership.
"This is not about personalities — it's about performance, alignment, and urgency," Marcos said in a statement issued by the Presidential Communications Office.
"Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognised. But we cannot afford to be complacent. The time for comfort zones is over."
Marcos failed to secure a sweep of Senate seats for his allies, signalling a divided legislative landscape heading into the second half of his single six-year term.
Candidates aligned with his estranged vice president, Sara Duterte, outperformed expectations in what many viewed as a proxy battle between the two camps.
"This is not business as usual," Marcos said.
"The people have spoken, and they expect results — not politics, not excuses. We hear them, and we will act," he said.
Marcos has faced a steep decline in public support, according to a March survey by Pulse Asia, with only 25% of Filipinos approving of his performance, down from 42% previously.
In stark contrast, Duterte enjoyed a significantly higher approval rating of 59%.
Sentiment towards the government has soured due in part to a perceived failure to control inflation, a top concern of Filipino households, even though it has been back within the central bank's 2% to 4% target range since August.
(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by John Mair)