How the Philippines is managing a cold war abroad – and at home

Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano defended the move by emphasising Marcos Jnr’s prerogative to determine the council’s composition and highlighting “the need for timely and coherent action to address current and emerging threats to national security”.

The Philippines’ National Security Council is the pre-eminent body in charge of coordinating the country’s responses to domestic and external security threats. The council not only included relevant members of the executive branch but also representatives from other branches of the government, as well as former presidents.