President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. on Friday called on members of the armed forces to stay focused on their mission and avoid being distracted by the ongoing political noise in the country.

“Huwag kayong nalilinlang sa mga nangyayari (Do not be deceived by what’s been happening). Let’s stay focused. Pare-pareho tayo (We're in the same boat),” Marcos told the troops during his Talk to the Troops at the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) in Camp Guillermo Nakar, Lucena City.

The President emphasized that service members should not let the political turmoil distract them from their duties.

“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 (Let’s keep that mission clear in our minds. If we get distracted—because of the noise and all the shouting—and we start wondering, ‘What’s going to happen?’ The answer is simple: Ask yourself, ‘What is my mission?’ Focus on that and fulfill it),” he said.

Marcos’s comments come amid escalating tensions between his camp and Vice President Sara Duterte.

Duterte's challenge to the military

Former President Rodrigo Duterte recently urged members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to uphold the 1987 Constitution instead of supporting Marcos, whom Duterte accused of being a drug addict. Duterte also called for military intervention to “correct” what he described as Marcos’s “fractured governance.”

In response, Marcos reiterated his commitment to improving the country, stating: “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.”

The President reminded the troops to maintain clarity amidst political distractions.

“If you find yourself confused, just remember: ‘What is my mission?’ Your mission is to protect the people and the Republic—the citizens of the Republic of the Philippines and the state itself,” Marcos said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“With clear thinking, we realize we all have the same mission. I work on the civilian end, while you work on the military police end. But our mission is the same,” he concluded.