MANILA – Ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s assumption of power, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has purged the country’s most powerful pro-Beijing figures from the National Security Council ( NSC ).
In a final-hour executive order ( EO ), Marcos Jr. directed the removal of both Vice President Sara Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte from the nation’s top national security decision-making body. Additionally, Duterte-friendly political characters were removed from the protection agency.
However, Marcos Jr expanded the presence of important numbers from the Philippine Congress, which is headed by his aunt and right-hand person, House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The Malacaang Palace justified the decision because it “needs to further ensure that the NSC continues to be a resilient national security organization, capable of adapting to changing obstacles and opportunities both domestically and internationally.”
Crucially, the newly signed executive order also underscored the necessity of “ensur]ing ] that its council members uphold and protect national security and sovereignty, thereby fostering an environment conducive to effective governance and stability” . ,
The Dutertes and Marcoses have been engaged in heated and festering disagreements, with Vice President Sara Duterte actually publicly threatening the existence of the former if she were assassinated, while former President Duterte has insulted and yet agitated for a possible revolt against his democratically elected leader.
A possible geological transformation of the Philippine-US alliance is also anticipated as a more hawkish next Trump administration is expected to bolster allies in a sour New Cold War with China in the area.
Previous presidents have been honourable members of the NSC for the past 20 years, a nod to their encounter, earlier access to wealthy information, and leftover influence as significant public figures.
Institutional conversation with former president and institutional inclusion also led to a degree of consensus among the social elite on issues relating to national security. In addition, former vice president have served on the NSC’s Executive Committee, which is the main repository for joint responses to pressing national safety issues.
Previously, Vice President Sara Duterte, who had eyed the Department of National Defense before getting appointed as education secretary, also served as the vice-chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTG-ELCAC ), the primary body in charge of addressing domestic insurgencies.
Sara Duterte was even forced to resign as secretary of education earlier this year, leaving the Dutertes with no access to all important decision-making systems.
In addition, the vice president is the subject of allegations of prosecution from both Marcos-friendly lawmakers and members of Congress, while former leader Duterte is being investigated for his contentious “drug war,” which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of drug users and sellers during his six-year career.
The Dutertes have responded by constantly threatening the state, holding anti-Marcos rallies, and also allegedly conspiring to oust Marcos Jr. through extraconstitutional means in the face of an existential problems.
The ex-president has explicitly called for” Citizens Power” against his son, harkening to the massive protests that dismissed the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr tyranny. He has just fallen far short of backing a military revolt against Marcos Jr.
” You didn’t go to the Supreme Court because it is a lengthy process. You can’t trust the Congress because ( Speaker Martin ) Romualdez is under Marcos ‘ helm”, Duterte said in a press conference in late-November amid escalating tensions with the administration.
The former president made the accusation that the president was “addicted to improper substances” and that military intervention might be the only solution to the impasse. ” How does the government defend the Constitution? By protecting a’ medicine druggie’ President? …If you want a restitution of dispute, there is no immediate remedy. It is only the army who is right it”, he added.
In addition, original generals and service members who were close to the Dutertes have voiced their disapproval and joined several civil society organizations to criticize the Marcos Jr. administration’s recently passed budget, which has racked up controversy.
There is now open dialogue about the creation of a “revolutionary state” in the wake of growing political conflicts and public dissatisfaction.
” If we don’t achieve, the’ Revolutionary Government ‘ will succeed”, past Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, a leading voice on matters of international policy and great governance, told the author in a new board discussion.  ,
” As of right now, there are two causes. It’s a competition to demonstrate to the electorate whether certain things can be done in accordance with the constitution. Those for reverend state have given up now, they are gaining speed, there is no wish. Because they don’t think the current system may remain, these are the two major players in Philippine politics today.
The Marcos Jr. administration is now at the forefront of a raging tremendous power conflict in Asia. The coming next Trump administration, who is full of hawkish figures, could pressure the Philippines to host more sophisticated American weapons and immediately assist in deterring any possible war in nearby Taiwan.
When asked about the Philippines ‘ strategic position, Elbridge Colby, the incoming Undersecretary for Policy at the Pentagon and , a key architect , of Trump ‘s , National Defense Strategy in 2018,  , told this author that ,” ]h ] alf-measures are dangerous]because ] hedging doesn’t make sense]when ] you are too important ]as a frontline ally to America]” in face of China’s growing assertiveness in adjacent waters.
Inbound Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, has even made it clear that the Philippines may be core to America’s local policy, particularly vis-à-vis containing China.
The Marcos Jr. leadership is streamlining its government and delicate decision-making bodies in the face of rising home opposition and political uncertainty. Beijing’s alleged influence on key Spanish authorities positions, if no access to personal information, is being deliberately curbed by the Dutertes ‘ removal from the NSC.
Former president Duterte publicly demanded in a letter to National Security Advisor Eduardo Ano last November that his daughter be a part of crucial federal safety meetings and, as a result, to provide the minutes of any policy discussions. Important figures in the Marcos Jr. leadership saw the removal of the Dutertes from the National Security Council as a major priority, and the Dutertes were seen as proxies of China by them.
When asked about Beijing’s possible use of the Philippines ‘ present political crisis, past Rear Admiral Rommel Jude Ong claimed,” If China properly divides a specific region, it can achieve victory [without paying any major price].”
” I’m very concerned about our domestic politics, and]accordingly ] interference]by China ]”, the former admiral added, emphasizing the Philippines ‘ centrality to the emerging US-China rivalry as well as Beijing’s potential forcible reunification with the self-ruling island of Taiwan.
“]China ] must neutralize the Philippines. Because it complicates]its Taiwan ] calculation. In military parlance, if]China’s ] main effort is Taiwan, then secondary effort is]focused on ] Japan and the Philippines. We are in the way of China’s plans on Taiwan. They must neutralize the Philippines politically and economically to ensure that we are no longer a factor,” he continued, referring to the Marcos Jr. administration’s decision to grant the US military more access to northern bases facing Taiwan.
” Whatever action we take, it disrupts their plans on Taiwan. The low-hanging fruit is to get someone friendly]back ] in charge of the Philippines. That’s why foreign interference [against the Philippines ] will be their main focus rather than kinetic or physical,” he continued.
Follow Richard Javad Heydarian on X at @Rich Heydarian