President Rodrigo Duterte called Vice President Leni Robredo ‘friend’ during the graduation rites of the 2018 Class of the Philippine Military Academy.
“Kaibigan man kami ni ma’am.”
(Ma’am and I are friends), Duterte said.
Duterte and Robredo were also seen shaking hands and sitting beside each other onstage during the event.
The encounter was reportedly the first meeting of the leaders this year. The two are also in disagreement over the country’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Duterte earlier announced that the country is withdrawing from the ICC, ordering it to be ‘effective immediately’.
Duterte cited the “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” of the ICC against him and his war-on-drugs campaign as basis for his decision.
“I therefore declare and forthwith give notice, as President of the Republic of the Philippines, that the Philippines is withdrawing its ratification of the Rome Statute effective immediately,” the President said in a statement.
Robredo then criticized this move stating that the safety of human rights abuse victims in the country can no longer be provided for.
“Delikado ito sa future generations. Kasi, papa’no kung naging mapang-abuso ‘yung nakaupo. Wala na tayong malalapitan,” Robredo said.
It can be recalled that the vice president resigned Duterte’s cabinet as chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) last year due to “policy differences”.
