A former presidential spokesperson and counsel with close ties to the Duterte family has criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to remove Vice President Sara Duterte from the National Security Council (NSC), calling it an “ill-advised presidential move.”
In a statement, Salvador Panelo, ex-chief presidential legal counsel, claimed that the vice president’s removal from the security cluster was an attempt to “diminish her political star power” and described it as “another brazen measure” against her.
The move came after President Marcos issued Executive Order 81 on Friday, which not only removed Vice President Sara Duterte from the NSC but also excluded all former living presidents, including Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Rodrigo Duterte.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin explained that the vice president was considered “irrelevant” to the responsibilities of the NSC.
In November, Vice President Duterte had expressed concerns over her exclusion from previous NSC meetings, even though Marcos had not convened the council since taking office in 2022.
Panelo also remarked, “The removal of FPGMA and FPERAP in the NSC is to deodorize the elimination of VP Sara as a member — to make it appear that she is not being targeted.”
Meanwhile, France Castro, House deputy minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list representative, suggested that the decision might signal a deeper rift between the Marcos and Duterte families.
“Ang pagtanggal kina VP Sara Duterte at dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa National Security Council ay nagpapakita lang na simula pa lang ng taon ay simula na naman ang mas matinding bakbakan sa dalawang nangungungang political dynasties sa bansa,” she stated.
[Translation: The removal of VP Sara Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte from the National Security Council only shows that, right at the start of the year, a more intense battle between the two leading political dynasties in the country is about to begin.] The Office of the Vice President has yet to release an official response to Marcos’ decision.
