Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday vowed to work with the country's military in increasing its capability as she took an oath as honorary member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). Now an adopted member of PMA's Bagong Anyo ng Buhay (Banyuhay) Class of 2002, Duterte paid tribute to the Philippine forces for their selfless service to the country. In her message to her fellow class members, she said their "love of country scintillates brilliantly during times when we need light, inspiration, and courage to stand, serve, protect, and fight for our country and fellow men." Duterte then called on them to "remain committed to the tenets of honor, justice, and bravery." "We will continue working together in increasing the capability of our military by seeking interventions that will foster our military's excellent leadership while spearheading programs that will uplift the morale of our soldiers and promote the welfare of all our uniformed men and women," she said. She also recalled the heroism of Major Jericho Mangalus, who died along with Corporal Bryan Libot in an ambush by members of the Maute during the Marawi Siege in 2017. "Let us not forget the heroism of Mangalus, who is a member of Banyuhay class, and all the other fallen soldiers who died fighting to ensure that Filipino families will sleep well tonight," the Vice President said. "Allow me to thank you for your role in the liberation of Marawi from the claws of the terrorists," she added. Duterte took oath with two other new members—Senator Robin Padilla and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) Executive Leo Gonzales. The oathtaking was held on Banyuhay's 21st graduation anniversary from the country’s premier military academy.