Marcos Jr.: It's time to put all the politics aside

MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. looks to finish his term in three years by shunning politics and focusing on the work he set out to do. 

This is what thechief executive told media during the thanksgiving dinner of the Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas at the administration campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong City Saturday night.

"We all wish we had better results but, you know, we live to fight another day. At  now it's time, I think, to put all the politics aside," he said.

"It's time to put all of the issues that were raised during the election and only talk about not political issues but developmental issues, healthcare issues, education issues, agriculture issues, food supply issues, all of these things. Sana naman ako lagi kong  binibilang ang araw na natititra sa term ko at kailangan matapos natin yung mga nasimulan natin," Marcos added.

The President thanked media for their coverage of the campaign at the same headquarters he used for his 2022 presidential campaign. 

He urged the members of the media to help inform the public about their work and his call to put the politics aside.

"Let's let people know that we are going to continue to work hard now and put the, as I said, politics aside. It's a, consider it a distraction for now. Put the politics aside and get on with the work of nation-building. "

Only six Alyansa candidates won seats in the Senate: reelectionists Pia Cayetano and Lito Lapid and senators-elect Erwin Tulfo, Panfilo Lacson, Vicente Sotto III, and Camille Villar who was also endorsed by administration critic Vice President Sara Duterte, who likewise endorsed former Alyansa candidate Senator Imee Marcos, and senators Bong Go and Bato dela and senator-elect Rodante Marcoleta. 

The remaining two slots went to senators-elect Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan who are allied with former Vice President Leni Robredo.

In the 2013 and 2019 midterm elections, the administration tickets won more than half of the seats for the Senate.

Marcos Jr.'s call to shun politics comes as Congress looks to get on with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in the Senate after the president's allies impeached her at the House of Representatives last February.