VP, ex-Presidents out of security council under EO 81

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. removed Vice President Sara Duterte and former presidents from the National Security Council, streamlined its membership as well as that of its executive committee.

“There is a need to further guarantee that the NSC remains a resilient national security institution, capable of adapting to evolving challenges and opportunities both domestically and internationally,” the President said in Executive Order No. 81 signed on Dec. 30, 2024.

The commander-in-chief likewise underscored, in EO No. 81, the need “to ensure that its council members uphold and protect national security and sovereignty, thereby fostering an environment conducive to effective governance and stability.”

The new order effectively removed Vice President Sara Duterte; her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte; and two other living Presidents – Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo – from the council.

The NSC previously had 29 members, along with past presidents, based on EO No. 34 issued by then President Arroyo in 2001.

With EO 81, the reorganized NSC now has 28 members. It also listed three Deputy Speakers to be designated by the Speaker of the House as members of the council, which were previously identified in EO 34 as the Deputy Speakers for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

It also identified four officials who may be asked to attend “as may be necessary to advise and assist in the deliberations” – the director-general of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency; the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; the chief of the Philippine National Police; and the director of the National Bureau of Investigation. The governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas may also be invited to participate.

President Marcos also removed the Vice President from the NSC executive committee, which is tasked to review national security issues and concerns and formulate positions or solutions for consideration by the council.

Pressed for an explanation, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said: “At the moment, the VP is not considered relevant to the responsibilities of membership in the NSC…Nonetheless, when the need arises, the EO reserves to the President the power to add members or advisers.”

The Vice President is facing an investigation after she claimed to have told someone to kill Mr. Marcos if she was assassinated. She later said her comments were misinterpreted.

Duterte also complained last year that she has been excluded in NSC meetings.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, for his part, said the reconstitution of the council was “necessary to further enhance the formulation of policies affecting national security.”

“The NSC is, first and foremost, an advisory body to the President, and its composition is always subject to the authority of the President,” Año said in a statement.

He said the latest adjustment “continues a historical pattern of NSC reorganizations tailored to meet evolving security challenges.”

Since the NSC was established by President Elpidio Quirino in 1950, it has undergone several reorganizations under Presidents Marcos in 1972, Corazon Aquino in 1986 and 1987, Fidel Ramos in 1992, and Arroyo in 2001.

“The purpose of reorganization is to enhance the formulation of policies relating to national security so that actions and decisions by the President rest on sound advice and accurate information… It is also premised on the need for timely and coherent action to address current and emerging threats to national security,” Año said. With AFP

Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “PBBM regroups National Security Council, excludes OVP.”