ANKARA

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday asked all his Cabinet secretaries to resign, citing the poor performance of government-backed candidates in the May 12 midterm elections, according to an official statement.

According to the Presidential Communications Office, the move aims to provide him with the flexibility to assess each department's performance and decide who will continue to serve under his administration's "recalibrated priorities."

With three years left in his presidency, Marcos Jr. said: "It's time to realign government with the people's expectations."

"This step marks a clear transition from the early phase of governance to a more focused and performance-driven approach," the statement added.

The presidential office assured the public that government services will remain "uninterrupted" during this transition.

Only six Marcos-backed senatorial candidates were elected to the Senate in the recently held midterm elections, falling short of expectations.

*Writing by Aamir Latif