President Marcos acknowledged that his administration fell short in addressing the day-to-day concerns of Filipinos, vowing to shift focus from long-term infrastructure to easing the burdens of ordinary citizens in the wake of the midterm elections.

In the first episode of the BBM Podcast released on Monday, May 19, the President said the outcome of the elections served as a message from the people: they are tired of politics and frustrated by slow government service.

"I have two conclusions dito sa eleksyon. Una, nagsawa na ang Pilipino sa politika (here in the election. First, Filipinos are tired of politics),” he said.

"Ang mensahe sa aming lahat…tama na ang pamumulitika ninyo at kami naman ang asikasuhin ninyo (The message to all of us: stop politicking and start working for the people)," he added.

Asked if he felt the government had shortcomings, the President responded, "Oo (Yes)."

Marcos admitted that while the government prioritized big-ticket projects such as subways, airports, and hospitals, it failed to provide relief on more immediate needs like public transportation, traffic congestion, and basic services.

"Na-realize ko na hindi natin nabigyan ng sapat na atensyon yung mas maliit na bagay… para maging mas maginhawa ang pang-araw-araw na buhay ng tao (What I realized is we failed to give enough attention to small things that make daily life easier)," he said.

The President also expressed frustration over red tape and bureaucratic bottlenecks that hinder the implementation of new initiatives. He cited overly cautious officials and overlapping regulations that lead to stagnation.

"Ang sagot laging bumabalik, ‘Sir, hindi puwede ‘yan, baka ma-COA kami.’ Totoo rin naman (They always tell me that they can't do it because the Commission on Audit might flag them. I understand)," he said.

"Kung minsan contradictory ang mga batas natin. Okay lang maging maingat, okay lang ang checks and balances, pero huwag naman maging paralysis doon sa bureaucracy (Our laws are sometimes contradictory. It's okay to be cautious and to have checks and balances. But let's not paralyze the bureaucracy)," he added.

When asked if he was perhaps “too kind,” Marcos said he cannot change his ways, but realized he might have to be more strict now.

"Anong gagawin ko, maging masamang tao? Hindi ko naman mababago yung ugali ko. Pero siguro dapat nga talagang maging mas mabagsik (What should I do? Should I be cruel? I cannot change my attitude, but maybe I should be stricter)," he said.

The President also addressed public concerns about the resurgence of illegal drugs in local communities, saying the government would continue its aggressive anti-drug operations while returning to grassroots strategies.

“So ngayon (Now), in the same vein, part of the lesson of this elections, let's go back to the grassroots level. Kung inaalala ng tao, sinasabi, nabalikan dito, asikasuhin natin (If they feel drugs are back, let's address it),” he said.

“Sige tuloy natin ang malalaking drug bust, tuloy natin yung ikukulong natin yang mga sangkot sa drugs. Pero tingnan na muna natin yung mga small offender (Let's continue with the drug busts and jail those involved. But let's look first at the small offenders),” he added.

Marcos emphasized the importance of police presence in communities, highlighting the administration’s new “Cops on the Beat” program, wherein there would be police officers roaming around certain areas.

“Hindi magandang tignan, yung lugar mo maraming nagbebenta, maraming mga high na ano-ano ginagawa (It's not good that there are pushers and users in your area)," he said.

With just over 1,130 days remaining in his term, Marcos said it’s time to move past political noise and resume the work of governance.

“Tama na yung politika. Gawin na natin lahat ng kailangan gawin (Enough politics. Let’s do what must be done),” he said.

This includes having a neutral stance on the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. According to President Marcos, the matter was for the Senate to handle.

“Yung impeachment, nasa Senado na ‘yan. Pabayaan natin sila, may proseso ‘yan (It's up to the Senate now. Let the process unfold),” Marcos said.

“Tapos na ang elections, balik sa trabaho. Gawin na natin lahat (The elections are over, we should go back to work now and do everything) with the new lessons learned," he added.

The impeachment case, stemming from allegations of confidential fund misuse and public threats against top officials, has yet to be calendared for trial.