Former Bayan Muna Congressman Neri Colmenares today said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s reorganization of the National Security Council (NSC) reflects the intensifying power struggle between the country’s dominant political dynasties ahead of the mid-term elections.
“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 said.
“Ang mga ganitong hakbang ay nagpapakita ng tunay na mukha ng Philippine politics – isang bangayan ng mga dinastiya para sa kapangyarihan habang ang mamamayang Pilipino ay nagdurusa sa kahirapan. Tumataas na ang lahat mula kuryente, gasolina, tubig pati SSS tapos binaba pa ang budget para sa mga serbisyong panlipunan pero walang pake dito ang mga Marcos at Duterte,” he added.
The veteran activist-lawyer warned that the NSC reorganization might signal deeper problems within the administration. “Their removal may also indicate fears of a possible rift within the military establishment, which could have serious implications for the country’s stability.”
“However, as Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) president Renato Reyes said ‘whoever sits in the NSC, the Filipino people cannot expect any real change as this body is sworn to defend the rotten status quo against the interests of the Filipino people’. Ang NSC ay instrumento lamang ng mga naghaharing uri para protektahan ang kanilang interes,” Colmenares emphasized.
“These contradictions expose the bankruptcy of elite politics. The Filipino people must take it upon themselves to struggle for genuine political change that is not beholden to any of these political factions,” he concluded. #
