Photo Credit Rey Baniquet of PPD
(MNLtoday.ph) President Rodrigo Duterte met with previous living Philippine presidents in Malacañang during the National Security Council Meeting last Wednesday afternoon.
Those who came were former presidents Benigno Aquino III, Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Fidel Ramos, and Manila City Mayor Joseph Estrada (shown in photo) who arrived with President Duterte ahead of the meeting.
It is the maritime dispute with China that made four former presidents set aside their differences and unite to discuss the best tactics to resolve this issue. “The President will lead the NSC in a multi-partisan dialogue in order to agree on vital policies and strategies on important matters, including the recent ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the West Philippine Sea,” a spokesperson for Malacañang said.
Other issues that will be discussed are the government’s war on terrorism, drugs and rising criminality. Also present in the meeting are Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and the cabinet secretaries.
