HOT AIR
NO moral authority.
Malacañang Palace hit back at former presidential adviser Salvador Panelo and former spokesman Harry Roque for criticizing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to remove Vice President Sara Duterte from the National Security Council (NSC).
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the accusations of Panelo and Roque are baseless.
“Dalawang bagay ano. Mayroon akong nabasa na something that reminded me that Panelo, during his time as presidential adviser also advocated the exclusion of then Vice President Leni Robredo so he has no moral authority to question the decision of the President,” Bersamin said.
“But the second thing that I would like to emphasize here is this. Look at it this way, the National Security Council is an advisory body and this is an advisory body in relation to the President as the Commander-in-Chief. So, the President has the right as well as the responsibility of seeing to it that whoever are his BB advisers should have his fullest trust and confidence,” he added.
Bersamin did not explicitly say Duterte was unworthy of trust, he said the president should choose advisors he trusts.
“Now, I’m not saying that the Vice President has already… does not anymore deserve to be trusted. But I’m just saying that with the recent developments, it is not going to be good advice or good action on the part of the President to still have her onboard. Now, anyway, the President has the absolute power, the power of absolute reorganization – meaning, he can choose the people he listens to or he would listen to,” Bersamin said.
“So, if the National Security Council is supposed to be including members who are trusted by the President, then let it be understood in that line. Wala kaming personalan but my statement before was the Vice President has ceased to be relevant as far as the responsibilities of that membership in the National Security Council is concerned,” he added.
Bersamin also dismissed Roque’s claim that President Marcos will declare martial law.
“Alam mo, kung iniisip mo iyan lagi, that’s malicious ano because the constitution is very clear when may a president declare martial law. I don’t think it is in the mind of the President right now. What he has in mind is the economic prosperity of the country, the health and welfare of the people especially those of the lower classes and the prioritization of his legacy projects ‘no,” Berdamin said.
“The President accepts that as the number one concern. It’s not martial law, it’s not about extending himself in power – no, he has no thinking about that that. He does not even think in those terms malicious talaga si Mr. Harry Roque,” he added.
