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Firing Duterte from the National Security Council | The Freeman

The recent removal of Vice President Sara Duterte and former presidents of the Philippines from the National Security Council (NSC) by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sparked significant discussion and intrigue across the country. Some agree with the decision, some partially agree, and others vehemently oppose it.

Currently, there are three former presidents still active in the political scene and who were previously members of the NSC, considering their experience as former commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines: former presidents Erap Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Rodrigo Duterte.

In fairness to President Marcos Jr., he holds broad authority to form his Cabinet and appoint individuals to key advisory positions, including the NSC. The NSC is a government body that advises the president on matters of national security, both internal and external. It is well within his prerogative to ensure that his national security team is composed of individuals who share his views.

Marcos may have felt that former President Duterte’s foreign policy did not align with his own. Additionally, threats against him, his wife Liza, and his cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, may have led him to distrust the Dutertes and feel uncomfortable with their continued presence in the council.

So, removing the Dutertes from the NSC for lack of trust and confidence is within the prerogative of PBBM. However, people cannot be blamed for asking the following inevitable questions: Is the decision really in the country’s best interest? Or is it only about his security? Is it purely political? If he does not trust the Dutertes, why drop the other two former presidents? Could it be that he is planning to declare martial law, as the pattern seems similar to what his father, Marcos Sr., did in 1972?

The history of NSC, dating back to the 1950’s during the presidency of Elpidio Quirino, includes the vice president as part of the NSC. It goes without saying that the second-highest official of the land should be privy to the matters of national security so that, in the event something happens to the president, the vice president can take over without creating a leadership

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