Manila, May 20 -- Senate leaders on Tuesday welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s call to set aside politics and focus on the welfare of the Filipino people, and hope that reconciliation with the Duterte camp could signal a shift toward national unity and progress.

Senate President Francis Escudero lauded the President's "humility" in recognizing that the outcome of the recent midterm elections reflected the people's desire for a government that addresses real-life concerns rather than political drama.

"Our country's leaders cannot afford to be consumed by politics when so many of our kababayan struggle simply to make ends meet," he said in a statement.

"Now is the time to build bridges, not burn them. We owe it to our people t...