President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. yesterday urged the troops to shun distractions caused by the current political noise, warning them not to be deceived by what’s been happening.

“Let’s stay focused. Pare-pareho tayo (All of us),” Marcos said in his Talk to the Troops at the Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) in Camp Guillermo Nakar in Lucena City on Friday.

Marcos told the men in the service not to be deceived by the ongoing political turmoil. The President’s remarks came amid the increasing rift between himself and Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Let’s keep that mission clear in our mind. And kung nadi-distract tayo — siyempre maraming sigaw, maraming ingay — pag nadi-distract tayo at sabi papaano na ito. Madali iyan, madali ang sagot diyan: Ano ba ang mission ko? Iyon, yun ang tutuparin ko,” Marcos said.

(“And if we are distracted — of course with all the squalling, many noises — if we are distracted and wonder how this could be. It’s easy, there’s an easy answer to that: What is my mission? That is what I will fullfill.”)

Earlier, former President Rodrigo Duterte challenged the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to support the Constitution, instead of Marcos, again accusing him of being a drug addict.

He called for the military to intervene and “correct” President Marcos’ “fractured governance.”

Marcos, for his part, emphasized that his prime duty is to improve the situation in the Philippines.

“Ang trabaho ko ay pagandahin ang Pilipinas. Kayo naman, may misyon din kayo (My job is to improve the Philippines. You also have your own mission),” he said.

Marcos said the troops should never be confused by the political environment and always be reminded of their missions.

“Pagka medyo naguguluhan kayo, isipin lang ninyo, alalahanin niyo (If you are ever confused, just remember): ‘What is my mission?’ Your mission is to defend the people and the Republic — the people of the Republic of the Philippines and the state of the Republic of the Philippines,” he said.

“Basta’t maliwanag sa pag-iisip natin (It should be clear in our minds). We have the same mission. I do it for the civilian end, kayo sa (you in the) military police end. Pero pareho ang misyon natin ((We all have the same mission),” he added.

Meanwhile, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero refused on Friday to comment on the supposed impeachment complaints against Vice President Duterte.

Escudero, the head of the 23-member chamber, also urges his colleagues to do the same, stressing that the Senate would be the last institution to try the serving government official being impeached.

“Won’t comment on anything that has to do with ‘impeachment’ given that we (the Senate) are tasked to hear all impeachment cases,” he told reporters in a text message.

“I likewise call on and urge my colleagues to do the same,” he added.