Vice President Sara Duterte, who is in charge of government while the president is abroad, said she met with leaders of the military and the police to discuss national security.
The daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte said she told the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police top brass that she is serious about pursuing peace and fighting terrorism.
"Our policy against criminals and terrorists and those that support and espouse their ideologies of violence should be hardline. We should show no mercy to criminals and terrorists," she said.
The Vice President, who is also secretary of education, is a military reservist. During the meeting on Monday that included the AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Bartolome Bacarro, Duterte said she called for cooperation among government agencies to stamp out crime and terrorism.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is on his first foreign trips since assuming office last June 30. He and his party were in Jakarta on Monday and were due to visit Singapore within the week before returning to the Philippines.
