Philippine National Security Council Removes Vice President Sara Duterte

Philippine National Security Council Removes Vice President Sara Duterte

Manila, January 3: The Vice President of the Philippines, Sara Duterte, will no longer be a member of the National Security Council (NSC). In a decree issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his office removed her from the membership of the council following a sharp dispute between them last year.

Marcos stated that the NSC had been restructured "so that its members can better safeguard national security and sovereignty." The Vice President's office has not yet commented on the decision.

Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, in a statement, said, "At present, the Vice President is not considered related to the duties of NSC membership."

The restructuring of the National Security Council aims to create a stronger security institution capable of addressing new challenges. Through this order, former presidents have also been removed from the council, and Marcos has been given the authority to appoint "other government officials and private citizens."

Sara Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, is currently facing impeachment over allegations of corruption, incompetence, and the accumulation of ill-gotten wealth. However, she has denied these allegations.

Additionally, Sara Duterte claimed that she had hired an assassin to kill the President, his wife, and the Speaker of Parliament, or her relatives, in case she herself were to die. However, she later asserted that her remarks had been misrepresented.