Ex-president also excluded Robredo from NSC – Tañada to Duterte allies
Provided by INQUIRER.net.
MANILA, Philippines — Supporters of the Duterte family should remember that former President Rodrigo Duterte also excluded former Vice President Leni Robredo from attending National Security Council (NSC) meetings when he was in office.
In a tweet on Saturday, former House Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada reposted a quote from former presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, who called the removal of Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, from the NSC as “dirty politics.”
The younger Duterte, along with past presidents, was removed from the NSC by Executive Order No. 1 that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued on December 30, 2024.
Tañada, a long-time ally of Robredo, asked why Marcos’ move was now considered “dirty” when former President Duterte also did the same.
“During the term of PDU30, he prevented VPLeni from National Security Council meetings. So why is it wrong now? Why is it ‘dirty politics’?” Tañada asked.
“So it must have been also wrong during PDu30s term. It is the prerogative of a president to invite who [he] wants to the NSC,” he added.
During the term of PDu30, he prevented VPLeni from National Security Council meetings. So why is it wrong now? Why is it “dirty politics”? So it must have been also wrong during PDu30s term😂 It is the prerogative of a President to invite who we wants to the NSC. #MLPartylist #ML https://t.co/9hiBO2yGQA
— Erin Tañada #6MLPartylist (@erintanada) January 4, 2025
Robredo was neither explicitly nor formally removed from the NSC as Marcos did to Vice President Duterte. However, Robredo said last December 2016 that Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco Jr., relayed ex-President Duterte’s instruction through former special assistant and now Sen. Christopher Go, for her to “desist from attending all Cabinet meetings.”
READ: Robredo asked to stop attending Cabinet meetings, quits post
Duterte and Robredo belonged to opposing parties during the 2016 elections — the former president hailing from PDP-Laban and the ex-vice president being a stalwart of the then-ruling Liberal Party.
Unlike the two, Marcos and Vice President Duterte were part of a single ticket in the 2022 polls, called Uniteam. Observers believe that tensions in 2023 broke out and became a full-blown rift between the Marcoses and the Dutertes.
READ: ‘Broken from start’, UniTeam sees complete collapse
According to Marcos’ executive order, there was a need to reorganize the NSC to “further guarantee that the NSC remains a resilient national security institution, capable of adapting to evolving challenges and opportunities both domestically and internationally.”
READ: Marcos drops VP Duterte, former presidents in NSC revamp
While it was not mentioned in the executive order, Marcos and the Dutertes appear to be on different sides of foreign policy issues. During the term of Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines mended ties with China, which were strained due to the numerous diplomatic protests lodged by Manila.
Before Duterte won the presidency, the Philippine government filed a case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), insisting on its claims over islands and waters in the West Philippine Sea. The PCA then gave the award to the Philippines last July 2016, as China’s nine-dash line claim had no legal or historical basis.
Rodrigo Duterte called the arbitral award a piece of paper that can be thrown into the trash bin, while Marcos has maintained that the victory is important.
READ: Marcos says Permanent Court of Arbitration vital to PH foreign policy
READ: Duterte on PH court win over China: ‘That’s just paper; I’ll throw that in the wastebasket’
Despite the changes, progressive groups Bayan Muna and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan noted that the country would not benefit from this, saying this just revealed a worsening dispute between ruling political families.
In a statement on Sunday, former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to make changes at the NSC may not be about national security, but political survival.
“The removal of Vice President Sara Duterte and former presidents from the NSC clearly shows the widening rift between the Marcos and Duterte factions. This is not just about national security – this is about political survival,” Colmenares claimed.
“These steps show the real face of Philippine politics — a big dispute for power between dynasties while the Filipino people suffer in poverty. Prices of electricity, fuel, water, and even SSS pensions have increased but the budget for social services was brought down, but the Marcoses and the Dutertes do not care,” he added.
READ: NSC changes reveal worsening political disputes – groups
Meanwhile, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) President Renato Reyes Jr. questioned if the political tension between the Marcos-Duterte camps also signals a rift within the military establishments, as some officials may support a particular personality.
“The removal of the vice president and former presidents as members of the National Security Council reflects the widening rift and intensifying contradictions between the Marcos and Duterte factions as the country heads into the mid-term elections,” Reyes said.
“The Vice President and former president Duterte and their ally former president Arroyo are known political opponents of the President. Their removal may also signal fears of a possible rift within the military establishment,” he added.
(2025/01/05-19:35)
INQUIRER
- 01/10 05:46 BIR: P40B in excise taxes lost due to illicit cigarette, vape trade
- 01/10 05:40 AFP chief: Electing ‘right people,’ not coups, can fix PH problems
- 01/10 05:30 Binays cleared in P1.3-B school ‘overprice’ case
- 01/10 02:30 PH trims trade deficit amid import slump
- 01/10 02:28 BSP eyes shift from digital transaction fees to subscription
- 01/09 23:10 PH ship challenges Chinese vessels off Zambales due to illegal presence
- 01/09 14:43 Comelec: Government aid belongs to Filipinos, not politicians
- 01/09 12:01 NVIDIA Project DIGITS puts an AI supercomputer at your fingertips
- 01/09 11:06 Tech advances, other factors to shape PH labor market until 2030
- 01/09 09:25 Femicide: Targeting women because they’re women
- 01/09 08:51 Record-high gov’t debt spooks investors
- 01/09 05:50 As ‘Monster’ leaves, new Chinese ship takes its place off Zambales
- 01/09 05:32 Gov’t to push for flexible work setups this year
- 01/09 02:28 Peso seen falling below 59:$1 by Q2
- 01/09 02:14 Competition heating up in e-money industry, says BMI research
- 01/08 15:52 9 China Coast Guard vessels patrolling PH EEZ – US maritime expert
- 01/08 14:21 284 HMPV cases logged in PH in 2024; virus mild, not new – DOH
- 01/08 12:08 PH digital lending market seen to exceed $1 billion in 2025
- 01/08 09:17 Facebook, Instagram to ditch fact-checking for community notes
- 01/08 07:17 Open-world games can boost mental health, says study
- 01/08 05:30 ‘Above normal’ rainfall, more typhoons seen January to March
- 01/08 04:40 Many tourists take bus to Baguio amid traffic woes, says mayor
- 01/08 02:10 December inflation sped up to 2.9%, fastest in 4 months
- 01/08 02:05 New high: Gov’t debt topped P16 trillion in November
- 01/07 15:30 Suspected Chinese drone ‘non-operational’ when recovered – Navy
- 01/07 05:55 PH starts temporary hosting of 300 Afghans
- 01/07 05:50 ‘Monster’ still in PH waters, ignores PCG call to leave
- 01/07 05:40 Rights advocates urge US Congress urged to reconsider bill vs ICC
- 01/07 05:00 NSC: No proof yet China behind crashed drone
- 01/07 02:10 John Hay on lockdown as BCDA takes over
- 01/07 02:05 Meralco bags deal to build 600-MW gas plant in Singapore
- 01/06 15:31 NSC restructuring not a sign of rift in security sector – Malaya
- 01/06 13:40 China’s ‘monster ship’ off Zambales an act of aggression – NSC
- 01/06 12:11 New transfer system needed for Filipino prisoners abroad – solon
- 01/06 12:06 BCDA revenues hit P11B in 2024
- 01/06 11:15 PhilRice announces new rice varieties that can lower blood sugar
- 01/06 07:56 PH firms must brace for AI-powered attacks
- 01/06 05:35 More endorsers back 4th impeachment rap vs VP Duterte
- 01/06 05:32 PCG sends ship, 2 aircraft to challenge ‘The Monster’
- 01/06 05:30 US to stay ‘laser-focused’ on PH-China maritime issues
- 01/06 05:25 Opposition mounts vs SSS premium hike
- 01/06 02:10 DBS raises PH GDP growth forecast to 5.8%
- 01/05 19:35 Ex-president also excluded Robredo from NSC – Tañada to Duterte allies
- 01/05 13:42 Rights group calls for ‘greater vigilance’ in 2025, alleges violations
- 01/05 05:41 AFP vows loyalty to flag after Marcos revamp of NSC
- 01/05 05:35 DOST: This smart pen for kids can help tell if they’re troubled
- 01/05 02:15 PH aspires to be next green power paradise
- 01/04 10:03 VP Duterte’s removal from NSC marks intense political conflict – Castro
- 01/04 05:30 BI hunts down 11,000 foreign Pogo workers still in PH
- 01/04 02:10 New year, new jets for rich Filipinos
- 01/03 16:09 Chinese embassy in PH dismisses rumors of new disease outbreak in China
- 01/03 14:57 Marcos reorganizes NSC, removes VP as member due to irrelevance
- 01/03 13:47 Oreo maker Mondelez uses AI to create new snack flavors
- 01/03 10:00 DOH verifying alleged 'international health concern'
- 01/03 08:36 BI: 22,609 Pogo workers leave PH; 11,000 others for deportation
- 01/03 07:47 China develops a self-lightening backpack
- 01/03 05:40 ‘Chinese’ drone retrieved from Masbate waters piques Navy
- 01/03 05:19 As PBA enters 50th year, will four-point shot stay?
- 01/03 02:14 SEC drafts rules on crypto services
- 01/03 02:12 DigiPlus secures Brazil license
- 01/02 10:56 Filipino scientists made concrete blocks with coffee grounds
- 01/02 05:38 OSG: Pogo asset seizures, birth records purge next
- 01/02 05:32 Northern Luzon at risk of more quakes
- 01/02 05:25 PH ambassador to Hungary is latest Marcos appointee
- 01/02 05:21 Ecozone eyed as naval base site in Mindanao
- 01/02 02:15 IMF asks BSP to disclose info on balance sheet strategy
- 01/02 02:10 1st round of PH-Chile FTA talks set for March
- 01/01 22:45 Marbil vows ’tech-driven, apolitical’ PNP in 2025
- 01/01 18:15 PH Ambassador Romualdez to attend Trump inauguration – Palace
- 01/01 05:39 Budget critics: Veto still left ‘pork’ intact
- 12/31 12:06 OCD gears up for another Mt. Kanlaon eruption
- 12/31 05:40 Vice, gore: A peek into the sinister world of Pogo traffickers
- 12/31 05:35 Panfilo Lacson to gov’t: Brace for legal challenge vs 2025 budget
- 12/31 02:08 An upper middle-income nation by 2025? What PH is bound to lose
- 12/31 02:02 Philippine telcos ramp up cybersecurity efforts
- 12/30 14:56 ‘Broken from start’, UniTeam sees complete collapse
- 12/30 13:07 Marcos pays tribute to late former US President Jimmy Carter
- 12/30 09:33 Marcos signs P6.3 trillion 2025 national budget, vetoes P194 billion
- 12/30 05:20 Filipino booters look to clinch a first-ever Asean Cup finals berth
- 12/30 02:30 PH home prices contract for first time in 3 years
- 12/30 02:28 PH attracts net ‘hot money’ inflow of $96.59M in Nov
- 12/24 21:09 Watch out for crypto scams this Christmas – CICC
- 12/22 05:50 BFAR plane tells Chinese Navy: ‘Review your chart!’
- 12/22 05:38 AFP trusts President Marcos, system, says Brawner
- 12/22 05:30 Marcos, VP Duterte ratings down as poll reflects inflation woes
- 12/22 02:22 Woke but confused: Holidays leave adulting Filipinos financially bipolar
- 12/20 10:37 6 power projects endorsed for operating permits
- 12/20 05:52 Marcos: Let DOJ handle House move vs Rodrigo Duterte
- 12/20 05:48 PNP partners with TikTok vs online scams, exploitation
- 12/20 05:42 SC fires judge involved in wife’s illegal deals
- 12/20 05:34 3rd impeach rap filed vs VP Duterte; Leni Robredo ally an endorser
- 12/20 05:04 Golf club members join legal battle in Camp John Hay
- 12/20 02:24 Balance of payments deficit grew to widest in over 2 years
- 12/19 16:06 Sovereignty, accountability, and hope: Key Philippine stories of 2024
- 12/19 13:47 Blueleaf ramps up Laguna floating solar deployment
- 12/19 09:39 PH bracing for foreign bond comeback in H1 2025
- 12/19 09:22 Vietnam learns lesson about China aggression – everyone’s a target
- 12/19 05:42 8,000 foreign Pogo workers still in PH with tourist visas, says BI
- 12/19 05:30 House tags Duterte, et al. for ‘crimes against humanity’
- 12/19 04:32 ‘Decarbonizing’ PH a race against time – but ‘we should do it properly’
- 12/19 02:28 Marcos-Duterte clash to hurt economy – Fitch
- 12/19 02:12 Holiday online shopping fraud ‘alarmingly high’ in PH
- 12/18 12:58 Neda Board approves issuance of EO on PH-Korea free trade deal
- 12/18 10:13 Blockchain Game Alliance Report shows organic Web3 gaming growth
- 12/18 09:34 DepEd budget expose billions in unspent funds
- 12/18 09:12 Prisoner swap pacts with other nations eyed after Veloso’s return
- 12/18 05:50 House OKs bill that lets foreigners lease land for 99 years
- 12/18 05:10 PhilHealth P500-B fund investment questioned
- 12/17 14:13 DTI revising regulations for vape products
- 12/17 12:25 AFP: Yearend WPS resupply, Noche Buena delivery missions successful
- 12/17 10:05 Peza expects approved investments to rise by 10% in 2025
- 12/17 09:56 Shadowy uranium trade reaches PH, raises fear of ‘dirty bomb’
- 12/17 05:45 COA: 4,000 dead seniors still on PhilHealth database
- 12/17 05:35 SC: Suspension of single, pregnant teacher illegal
- 12/16 18:23 Marcos on current state of PH: We’re quite stable amid political noise
- 12/16 05:33 Island Cove’s jobless: The other side of the Pogo ban
- 12/15 17:47 Dolly de Leon says a celeb’s craft deserves more focus than personal life
- 12/15 05:50 Senate bill forfeits illegal Pogo assets in favor of gov’t
- 12/15 05:25 DBM opens e-market for gov’t suppliers
- 12/15 02:03 Engineers build innovative roof manufacturing business
- 12/14 09:25 AI solar boat cleans 2.5 million liters of river water daily
- 12/14 08:40 AI agents will become brand ambassadors in 'Agentic Era' – study
- 12/14 05:55 House panel: Ex-president Duterte center of grand criminal enterprise
- 12/14 05:30 SMNI duo ordered to pay TV journalist P2M in damages
- 12/14 04:40 Negros Occidental declares state of calamity after Kanlaon blast
- 12/13 12:48 Harvard opens access to 1 million books for training AI models
- 12/13 12:21 Marcos aims to make PH military a 'world-class force'
- 12/13 11:39 Philippines deports 2,300 Pogo workers to China, other Asian countries
- 12/13 10:01 Gov’t eyes more diversified external financing before losing ODA perks
- 12/13 08:55 Teacher uses this trick to check students’ AI homework
- 12/13 05:30 Seized Pogo properties pose next gov’t challenge
- 12/13 02:32 It’s final: BCDA regains control of John Hay
- 12/12 22:14 2 more PH nature reserves tagged of ‘international importance’
- 12/12 10:59 VP Sara Duterte wrong in saying DOJ is ‘biased’ in probing her – exec
- 12/12 09:14 AI’s real impact on the global economy
- 12/12 05:48 Fisherfolk to SC: Void Manila Bay reclamation works
- 12/11 17:30 VP Sara Duterte considering hiring private security force
- 12/11 15:09 Local identity fraud cases surged 119% this year — study
- 12/11 14:24 DA bans poultry from The Netherlands
- 12/11 14:10 PDEA raises alarm over marijuana's growing popularity as holidays near
- 12/11 11:38 Marcos vows to make overseas work a choice, not a necessity
- 12/11 11:14 Readers more likely to distrust news from AI articles – study
- 12/11 07:32 Pogo phaseout in full swing; only 17 remain
- 12/11 05:55 Marcos rules out warship deployment in West Philippine Sea
- 12/11 02:04 World Bank trims PH growth outlook
- 12/10 15:34 China’s acts of war in West PH Sea accelerating ecological ruin
- 12/10 10:18 LTO vows stricter regulation of motorcycle taxis
- 12/10 05:50 Secret fund use hits P10B; OVP outspends 4 security agencies
- 12/10 05:45 Over 100 kilos of uranium seized in Pasay, CDO and Mandaue
- 12/10 04:40 Thousands evacuated as Mt. Kanlaon erupts anew
- 12/10 02:11 PH emerges as hot spot for RE investments
- 12/09 08:00 105 y.o. saved from stroke through advanced procedure in The Medical City
- 12/09 05:55 Chinese vessel hits BFAR ship with laser six times
- 12/09 05:50 Kalookan bishop, drug war critic is PH 10th cardinal
- 12/09 04:35 Eastern Samar has ‘fastest’ economic growth in Eastern Visayas
- 12/08 02:04 Demand for first-class seats rising among Filipino jetsetters
