Duterte, Robredo together again at PMA rites

President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo share the stage at the graduation rites of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Alab Tala” Class of 2018. SCREENGRAB from RTVM FACEBOOK LIVE

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City – President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo again shared the stage on Sunday as they attended the graduation of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) here.

Duterte is the guest of honor and speaker at the rites, where he will award the presidential saber to 25-year old Cadet First Class Jaywardene Galilea Hontoria who topped 282 mistahs of the “Alab Tala” Class of 2018.

READ: Most memorable day: Farmer’s son top graduate of PMA

Robredo will award the vice presidential saber to Cadet First Class Ricardo Liwaden.

Duterte and Robredo were seated beside each other. The President shook hands with Robredo as he went onstage.

Duterte and Robredo arrived here on Saturday.

The PMA graduation is among the rare events where the country’s two highest leaders share the stage after their relationship got strained since Robredo quit her Cabinet post in December 2016.

It was the first time Duterte and Robredo met in 2018 after the vice president criticized the chief executive’s decision to withdraw the country’s membership from the International Criminal Court.

Duterte skipped the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Australia Special Summit in Sydney on March 17 to 18 to attend the PMA graduation.

READ: Duterte to skip Asean-Australia meet – Roque

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the President saw the graduation as an “opportunity” to have a dialogue with young military officers. /cbb