CHAPTER 3 National Security Concerns

Overview:
We are entering a new era of human security where the concept of
security will change, and change dramatically. Security will be interpreted as:
security of people, not just of territory, security of individuals, not just of nations and
security through development, not through arms.
Security is a national concern that every Filipino must consider to
ensure peaceful existence of the state. It shall be the State’s primordial
concern as well to secure its constituents. It is a condition or state of being where
the Filipino peoples’ values, way of life, institutions, welfare and well-being,
sovereignty and strategic locations are protected and enhanced.

General Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

1. trace the historical development and evolution of Philippine national security:

2. identify the functions of the National Security Council (NSC):
3. enumerate and explain briefly the different types of threats affecting the
national security of the people living in a peaceful environment;
4. differentiate external threats from internal threats; and
5. read and summarize the “National Security Policy, 2011-2016:
Securing the Gains of Democracy” by the President of the Philippines,
Benigno S. Aquino III

Definition and Evaluation of Philippine National Security as a Concept

The Philippines’ national security according to the National Security Council

(NSC) is “a state or condition where our most cherished values and beliefs, our
democratic way of life, our institutions of governance and our unity, welfare and well-
being as a nation and people are permanently protected and continuously
enhanced.” (Banlaoi, 2019, p. 123) The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
(NICA) in 1964, defines national security as “the state or condition wherein the
people’s way of life and being are protected and/or advance/” it is the primary
concern of the state to ensure the welfare and well-being of every Filipino.

The DND provides a more coherent analysis of Philippines’ national security

concept, recognizing the complex linkages of internal and external security concerns.

History
Commonwealth Act No. 1, also known as the National Defense Act, is the
original basis of the national security program of the Republic of the Philippines.
The 1987 constitution mandates civilian control of the military and establishes
the President as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The President heads the
National Security Council, ostensibly the policy-making and advisory body for matter
connected with national defense. Former President Corazon Aquino re-established
the council in 1986 through the executive order that provided for a National Security
Council director to advise the President on national security matters and for a
National Security Council Secretariat. The council is composed of the President; the
Vice President; the AFP Chief of Staff; National Security Council director; the
Executive Secretary; and the Secretaries of Foreign Affairs, National Defense,
Interior and Local Government, Justice, and Labor and Employment. The NSC by
the end of 1990 had only had only convened twice.

The responsibility of the national security was vested in the Department of

National Defense. The principal functions of the department in 1991 were to defend
the state against internal and external threats and, through the Philippine National
Police (PNP), to maintain law and order. The Secretary of National Defense, by law
a civilian, was charged with advising the President on defense matters and
developing a defense policy.

In 2002, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has won crucial

backing from her cabinet and the Congress for the deployment of US soldiers in the
country as part of the war on terrorism. The President convened a meeting of the
country’s National Security Council during that time, in a bid to pull wavering officials,
including her Vice President into line and smooth over differences in her
administration over the issue.
 Arroyo insisted her oppositions to marshal support for her stance to back a
US-led campaign against terrorism, to implement not only the unanimous US
Security Council resolution calling on UN members to bring the perpetrators to
justice but also the Philippines Strategic Alliance with the United States, and to assist
in the global campaign to end the scourge of terrorism.

The National Security Advisor (NSA) and director-General serve as chief of

staff and adviser on special concerns of national security to the President. The NSA
has a cabinet rank in the government.

Functions

The NSC’s function is to advise the President with respect to the interations of
domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to national security. The NSC also
serves as the President’s principal arm for coordinating these policies among various
government departments and agencies in matters involving national security.

Threats to National Security

(Excerpted from the National Security Policy, 2011-2016)

Fundamental Elements

There are seven fundamental elements that lie at the core of national security,
and, therefore, further amplify our definitions of national security.

1. Socio-Political stability. We must achieve peace and harmony among all

Filipinos, regardless of creed, ethnic origin, or social station. The government
and the people must engage in nation-building under the rule of law,
constitutional democracy, and full respect for human right.

2. Territorial integrity. We must ensure the permanent inviolability of our national

territory and its effective control by the government and the state. This
 includes the preservation of our country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
and its protection from illegal incursions and resource exploitations.

3. Economic solidarity and strengths. We must vigorously pursue a free-market

economy through responsible entrepreneurship based on social conscience,
respect for the dignity of labor and for the public interest.

4. Ecological balance. National survival rests upon the effective conservation of

our national environment in the face of industrial and agricultural expansion
and population growth.

5. Cultural cohesiveness. Our lives as a people must be ruled by a common set

of values and beliefs grounded on high moral and ethical standards drawn
from our heritage and embodying a Filipino standard, transcending religious,
ethics, and linguistic differences.

6. Moral-spiritual consensus. We must be propelled by a national vision inspired

and manifested in our words and deeds by patriotism, national pride, and the
advancement of national goals and objectives.

7. External peace. We must pursue constructive and cordial relations with all
nations and peoples, even as our nation itself must chart an independent
course, free from external control, interference, or threat of aggression.

Internal and External Threats

Internal Threats

Our national security environment is infused with four important dimensions.

Internal threats to our national security make up the first dimension.
1. The main internal threat arises from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
which, in open rebellion against the government, has the avowed objective of
establishing an independent Islamic state in Southern Philippines.

2. The Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National

Democratic Front (CPP/NPA/NDF) continue to pose a serious threat to
national security, although presently weakened in comparison with their peak
strength in the 1985-1987 period.

3. Organized crime is a national security concern. The challenge of illegal drugs,

in particular, has grown into a major threat to the national community.

4. Grave incidence of poverty is also a serious threat to national security,

especially to the extent that it breeds and abets rebellion, crime, and
dissidence. Poverty incidence affects about one-third of Filipino families
nationwide.

5. Economic sabotage undermines the market economy, the financial system,

and the nation’s resources. Under this category are underground activities
such as counterfeiting, money laundering, large-scale smuggling, inter-
oceanic poaching, and commercial dumping.

6. Graft and corruption has become another threat to our national security by
virtue of the huge scale by which it saps public resources, undermines the
morale of the civil service, and affects the delivery of quality basic services.

7. Severe calamities cause serious food shortages and abet boarding and
profiteering resulting in hunger, disease, and deprivation. Over the past then
years, the disaster toll stands at more than 13,000 lives lost and ₱179 billion
worth of property destroyed.

8. Persistent environment degradation poses a long-term security threat. The

attrition of forest and watersheds, air-land-water pollution, and the proliferation
 of toxic substances are the causes of sickness, death and the diminution of
national productivity and well-being.

External Threats

The growing uncertainties that lie in the regional and global milieu make up
the second dimension of our national security environment, even as threat of
external aggression against our country remains in the remote horizon.

1. The multilateral dispute over the Spratly Islands is a source of intermittent

tensions, owing to the building of structures, believed to be military-oriented
by some claimant countries in the area. This is a clear encroachment into the
Philippine EEZ which is being met through a comprehensive package of
diplomatic measures.

2. The smuggling of firearms and contraband, illegal migration, and the

occasional movement of foreign terrorists through the porous borders of our
south western frontier have elicited transnational concern. Philippines law
enforcement agencies work closely with international police organizations,
bilaterally and multilaterally, to check these activities.

3. The lingering effects of the currency crisis affecting the countries within the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are a cause of regional
anxieties, which tend to aggravate political instabilities and socio-economic
dislocations involving the poorest peoples.

4. The serious economic disparity between rich and poor nations keeps the
world in state on instability and virtually on the brink of war in many places
Local or regional shortages of fresh water, arable land, food, fisheries, and
energy fuels are already causing tensions.

5. Ethnic, religious, and cultural conflicts pervade many regions and nations,
including our own. It is constantly exacerbated by mass poverty, limited
 access to resources, denial of human rights, lack of national integration and
international issues.

6. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is a threat to global

security. Nuclear materials and technologies are more accessible now than at
any other time in history. The relative ease of production of both chemical and
biological weapons has made these weapons attractive to terrorist.

7. Transnational organized crime has proliferated in the era of globalization.

The international monetary fund estimates that global drug trafficking now
accounts for two percent of the world economy, excluding illicit capital flight
and money-laundering activity.

8. Natural disaster and environment issues will continue to pervade the global
security agenda. Mankind’s global activities-particularly population growth,
resource, consumption, pollution, urbanization, industrialization,
desertification, and deforestation will increasingly impact climate and weather
patterns, strain fragile ecosystems, and put more pressure on health and
social support systems.

9. Cybernetic crime is a growing global threat, as experienced with computer

viruses such as Melissa and Chernobyl, which have attacked isolated or
networked information systems through the Internet or through software
carriers and devices.

Types of Security Threats

The following are the types of security threats that could be minimized by
having good citizenship values and commitment to support and act on issues related
to national security concern.

1. Rebellion or insurrection is an open, armed, and organized resistance against

a constituted authority. It includes a range of behaviours from civil
disobedience and mass non-violent resistance to violence. It attempts to
destroy an established authority such as the government.
 2. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as means of coercion. It
refers only to those violent acts which are intended to create fear (terror), are
perpetrated for an ideological goal, and deliberately target specific people or
disregard the safety of non-combatants civilians.
3. Crime applies to a measurable degree of damage or destruction up to and
including a state beyond use or repair, or it may indicate a state wherein such
damage is occurring and continuing. Something being destroyed is in a “state
of destruction” such as self-destructive behaviours, suicide, and demolition.
4. Murder is defined in most countries as the unlawful killing of another human
being with intent (or malice), and generally this state of mind distinguishes
murder from other forms of homicide.
5. Hijacking/highway robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take
something of value by force or threat of force and/or by putting the victim in
fear. In common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another with
the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of
force or fear. Robbery differs from simple theft in its use of violence and
intimidation.
6. Kidnapping and serious illegal detention is the taking away or transportation of
a person against the person’s will, usually to hold the person in false
imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority. This may be done for
ransom or in furtherance of another crime or in connection with a child
custody dispute.

National Security Policy, 2011-2016:

Securing the Gains of Democracy

A renewed hope for the Filipino people has marked my assumption of office
as the 15th President of the Philippines. For years, the Filipino people have been
clamouring for transformational leadership that brings forth the ways of democracy
and freedom.

Thus, it is my distinct pleasure to issue and enunciate this National Security

Policy (NSP) to provide the overarching framework that shall promote the people’s
welfare and for the posterity of our nation. We look forward to this singular
opportunity when the enduring principles and ideals contained in this document will
help generate greater interest among our people and our institution on various issue
and concerns that affect our national security-the sum total of our people’s well-being
as well as our anchor as a democratic country imbued with our dreams and
aspirations.

We recognize full well that real-life challenges and opportunities require multi-
disciplinary approaches in addressing and attaining our strategic national security
goals and objectives. It necessitates a clear understanding of a wide array of
disciplines such as among others, politics and economics, public administration and
governance, history and sociology, geography and environment, as well as natural
science and technology.

The security challenges of the present are indeed far more complex than at
any time in the history of our country. For we realize that these challenges and
concerns are intertwined locally, regionally, and globally and that they are always
interconnected with the risks and opportunities within and outside our national
boundaries. By and large, we formulate this NSP with the widest consultation and
collaboration among the various stakeholders and national security practitioners,
experts, and professionals to attain the broadest range of perspective and extensive
co-ownership of this national undertaking. This is precisely what I mean when I say,
“kayo ang boss”

Our people deserve the best from our government and we must always
realize that the Filipinos are our greatest resource for a progressive and prosperous
Philippines. As I have said, our ultimate goal must be the safety and well-being of
our people. In line with my “Social Contract with the Filipino People,” the NSP is
anchored on the four (4) key elements of good governance, delivery of basic
services, economic reconstruction and sustainable development, and security sector
reforms.
Thus, we urge our people and our government in partnership with the private
sector to keep our national vision clear in our way forward to attaining our security
and development. We must learn to grasp facts and figures clearly and understand
issues and concerns carefully so that we will arrive at a consensus as a people and
appreciate better the enduring goals of our national vision.

Today, the security environment is constantly changing due to uncertainties

brought about by geopolitics and the shifting landscape of armed conflicts. We must,
therefore, focus our national efforts on the strategic courses of action in addressing
the traditional and non-traditional threats. Certainly, there are other challenges that
demand our national attention such as among others, terrorism, climate change,
public health, and energy security concerns. While these are challenges which
require greater preparedness and an effective national security policy response, they
are likewise opportunities for qualitatively improving the everyday life of our people.

Finally, as I have promised, the NSP is a vital document that contains

statement of principles that influence the national decision-making and determine
policy objectives and directives to attain the state or condition wherein the national
interests of the Philippines, the well-being of its people and institutions, and its
sovereignty and territorial integrity are protected and enhanced.

As President and Commander-in-Chief, good governance starts with my

office. It must radiate and permeate from the Office of the President, cascading to all
the offices and instrumentalities of the government in collaboration with the private
sector and the cooperation of our people. These are our first positive steps in moving
forward to safeguard our future and pursue our national interests.

I, therefore, earnestly urge our people to support this National Security Policy,
which is a people-centered document that lays down the foundation, and provides
the enabling environment conducive in achieving security, peace, and prosperity for
our nation.

Mabuhay tayong lahat!

BENIGNO S. AQUINO, III

President of the Philippines
Summary:
The goal of the national security strategy is to ensure the protection of our
nation's fundamental and enduring needs: protect the lives and safety of the people,
maintain the sovereignty of the nation, with its values, institutions and territory intact;
and provide for the prosperity of the nation.

ACTIVITY 3
Answer the following questions briefly:

1. What are the components of the National Security Council?

2. What are the seven fundamental elements that amplify national security?

3. Explain briefly the seven internal threats that undermine national security.