Team Norberto Gonzales

Happy birthday Sec. Norberto Gonzales!
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Team Norberto Gonzales 🌹💙🇵🇭

"In our country today, national sentiments are being faked through bribery, deception and manipulation of the electoral system by our politicians. Despite overthrowing regimes, greedy politicians persist in dominating our lives."

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A wind of change WHY is there talk of a possible coup? Is it because the noises of protest are emanating not from the usual quarters but from associations of retired high-ranking officers of the Armed Forces?

THE IMPERATIVE OF PREPARING FOR WAR
By Norberto B. Gonzales, former National Security Adviser and Defense Secretary
November 13, 2023
The Manila Times

Introduction

A world at peace is no more. War has become a distinct possibility in some regions of the world and ours is no exception. The United States together with some of its major allies in the region have embarked on a strategy of deterrence to discourage China from opening a war front in the Asia Pacific region. This strategy is holding, but for how long?

China is actually venturing on the possibility of a limited war to gain some victories that will satisfy its domestic audience. The capture or recovery of Taiwan is China's primary goal, but counter measures by Taiwan and its major allies are making China's intended invasion a far hazardous enterprise. Will China be satisfied in the meantime to establish a secure foothold in some of its coveted areas in the West Philippine Sea? Will a limited war be tolerated by the United States?

China is evidently preparing and testing world opinion for a limited skirmish. China has chosen to do this inside territories in the Philippines. Aside from being in the right geographic position, China rightly perceives the Philippines as a weaker and more vulnerable adversary compared to Taiwan. The Philippines is currently chaotic politically, It is plagued by corruption, and despite the many potential upgrade possibilities and assistance from its allies, it remains severely limited in its self defense capability.

ASEAN does not have a NATO-like arrangement, thus timely assistance from the immediate neighborhood will not be readily available. China will calculate how quickly the United States can come to aid a beleaguered Philippines. Even a short delay may provide enough time for China to achieve a limited objective in the West Philippine Sea.

Our Response

Taiwan has enlisted the support of major allies to its defense calculations but wisely distinguishes them from its own preparations to meet the looming China invasion. It does not make sense that we in the Philippines are not doing the same. We protest loudly against China’s incursions into our territory, but our actions or inactions as a nation betray the hollow nature of our protestations. Is it cowardice, or plain inaptitude of our national leaders that the State continues to display a fully dependent attitude in facing an external adversary?

We prefer to rely on our stronger allies than prepare to fight on our own. In an unfair fight, such as what we are facing with China, where we, as the weaker party against a Goliath, perception and other psychological aspects of warfare are crucial. What lessons can we learn from the time when our national leaders prevailed upon us to side with China instead of openly resisting its bullying? Beyond the vacillation of our government at that time, China continued to progress and escalate its provocative harassments in the West Philippine Sea.
It is always good to have allies, but complete dependence on them, no matter how reliable they are, is unwise.

It is also unwise not to involve our people in preparing for a forthcoming catastrophe. War does not choose who to harm. It is the duty of the State to prepare its citizens to defend life and ensure their survival.

Prepare for War

Due to our lack of clear and resolute national strategy against external aggression, our allies are essentially defining our defense priorities solely based on what they perceive as the level of our desired participation in the upcoming war. What is being projected to the world is the preference of our national leaders to allow our allies to do the fighting for us.

We have liberally authorized our allies to create additional military bases, located and designed in accordance with their own strategy for countering China within Philippine territory. Ongoing joint military exercises with our allies and the level of upgrading of our Armed Forces indicate that our role in this geopolitical game is as a mere force multiplier or to describe more accurately in our own language, as “saling pusa.” It is well-known worldwide that our people are capable of providing excellent non-combat services, such as kitchen and laundry duties or even running errands in hostile circumstances.

Our true worth as a sovereign nation can only be demonstrated through actions, not through angry pronouncements or mere symbolic intentions. We need to take deliberate steps that reflect the bravery and steadfastness of our own people. It is time to end our image of being a weakling, spineless, poor and helpless former colony. We must make our own preparations for war.

Recommendation

Given the chaos of our politics today, and the apparent incompetence of many of our politicians, it remains imperative to rise above these issues and remind both our politicians and the people that we are in a situation that demands for national collaboration. Not only our pride, dignity and honor as a nation and people are at stake but also our survival, both individually and collectively.

We are rapidly developing a negative national sentiment towards China, yet we are hesitant to openly acknowledge the underlying reality that accompanies this sentiment. We have chosen to ignore the possibility of an open armed conflict with China.

Let us remember that superpower nations are involved in this possible war in our region of the world. The initiation and scope of this conflict will not be determined by us. However, because it will commence and unfold right on our soil, all provocations and associated actions by the parties involved before the actual conflict will primarily affect us.

Our major allies in the region are prepared to engage China should deterrence fail. This means that war is a distinct possibility. So, what about us? How should we prepare individually and as a nation in the event of war?
On a domestic level, we can begin the process of formally mobilizing our people. They need to be trained and equipped foremost and be informed clearly of what is to happen at the very least.

We should ask Congress to act and establish by law our citizen military service as compulsory. Congress should also allocate funds and authorize the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to call for regular national and regional mobilization of our Reserve Forces. Our Armed Forces should be ready to include the entire citizenry as part of its reserve force, and it should prioritize expanding and upgrading the reserve force command
Externally, in addition to our ongoing interactions with superpower nations now visiting our shores, we also need to raise our voice in our own backyard, among our fellow ASEAN members and neighboring states.

Like us, ASEAN member states are deeply concerned about the developments in Taiwan and the West Philippine Sea. Although it will be challenging, the Philippines needs to advocate for ASEAN to establish a common position and action plan for addressing these regional developments. As a collective entity, ASEAN may still find success in devising conflict resolution mechanisms other than resorting to war.

The imperative of preparing for war A WORLD at peace is no more. War has become a distinct possibility in some regions of the world and ours is no exception. The United States, together with some of its major allies in the region, have embarked on a strategy of deterrence to discourage China from opening a war front in the Asia-Pacifi...

Meeting with the President of Spain and select Vice Presidents of the Socialist International held in Madrid, Spain on October 30, 2023

On Reforming the Economy
By Norberto B. Gonzales

Even in the midst of the pandemic, the wealthiest individuals in our country have experienced a "30%" increase in their wealth, while the government, on the other hand, has accumulated excessive debt. The rich continue to amass wealth, while the government remains burdened by mounting debt.

In this economic situation, the hope of many of us to overcome hardship seems distant. We should thoroughly examine the economic system in our country. The government should serve as an instrument for equalizing opportunities for economic gain. It should not hinder the wealthy from accumulating wealth, but it should also provide assistance to the majority to uplift their lives.

The problem is that the government cannot accomplish this if it is also impoverished. A significant issue is the lack of a plan and action from the government to enrich the state. Instead it continues to adhere to a disproven belief that what trickle down from the rich will eventually enrich it as well.

THE CHINA ISSUE
By Norberto B. Gonzales
Former National Security Adviser and Defense Secretary
September 3, 2023By

A less ambitious China would be beneficial for the world, especially for us. The current strategy of deterrence applied to China by an American-led alignment of forces may modify, but it cannot compel China to change its trajectory in asserting itself as a world power. China cannot be influenced from the outside at this point.

China, more specifically, the Communist Party of China, is in a situation similar to many nations in the world, both strong and weak. The entire world is undergoing a revolution. The prevailing economic world order can no longer sustain its influence to continue dominating nations and peoples. China's actions, such as engaging in unlawful territorial expansionism and deliberately creating an artificial state of war in the minds of its own citizens, will no longer serve as a driving force for its people to continue serving and remaining loyal to those in power.

It would be unrealistic to expect the Chinese people to overthrow the Communist Party that controls their government and daily lives. An internal change of leadership within the Communist Party of China may be sufficient and well within the realm of possibilities. There was a time when Philippines-China relations were governed by friendship and mutual respect. It was only recently that the Communist Party of China entertained the possibility of positioning a puppet family to control the Philippines.

LISTEN: Ex-Defense chief: Dela Rosa's 'cement' suggestion on shoal harmful to environment.

Former Defense secretary Norberto Gonzales talks to The Manila Times on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023 over his X(Twitter) comment on Sen. Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa's suggestion to cement the keel of the BRP Sierra Madre to the Ayungin Shoal.

INTERVIEW BY ARIC JOHN SY CUA



Source: https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/08/12/videos/listen-ex-defense-chief-dela-rosas-cement-suggestion-on-shoal-harmful-to-environment/1905161?fbclid=IwAR0xumYBCnpFLAmxSbIYVlwf6ywDf4uoOBPs2Sc6elnxYy4ezZUReDRbiO0

Ex-Defense chief: Dela Rosa's 'cement' suggestion on shoal harmful to environment Ex-Defense chief: Dela Rosa's 'cement' suggestion on shoal harmful to environmentFormer Defense secretary Norberto Gonzales talks to The Manila Times on Satu...

Ex-Defense chief: There are better ways of anchoring PH ship in Ayungin Shoal
By: Aric John Sy Cua

FORMER Defense secretary Norberto Gonzales said there are "better ways" of permanently anchoring the BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal.

Reacting to a Manila Times story on Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa suggesting to the government to "cement" the keel of the Sierra Madre to the shoal, Gonzales does not want the country to be "uncaring to the environment."

"There are better ways of anchoring [the] BRP Sierra Madre permanently in Ayungin Shoal than pouring tons of cement at its keel," Gonzales wrote. "Let us not be as uncaring to the environment as the Chinese."

Dela Rosa on Friday also suggested the realignment of the government's confidential and intelligence funds to repair the Sierra Madre, which has since been decommissioned.

China, on the other hand, had been telling the government to remove the vessel, claiming that Ayungin is part of its territory.

Source: https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/08/12/news/ex-defense-chief-there-are-better-ways-of-anchoring-ph-ship-in-ayungin-shoal/1905052?fbclid=IwAR3tZalyV4wKx93dXNvP0wlbulfvXxtA-eLbGYdvnIZa9ZV8rb2xHMLMw8I

Ex-Defense chief: There are better ways of anchoring PH ship in Ayungin Shoal FORMER Defense secretary Norberto Gonzales said there are 'better ways' of permanently anchoring the BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal.

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HAPPY FATHER'S DAY 🌹💙

Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan! 🇵🇭

KALAYAAN 2023 🇵🇭

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Sec. Norberto Gonzales' insights on Leadership presented to MCDRM class Lakas Diwa. 🌹💙

Sa paggunita natin sa ika 50th anniversary ng ating partido, inaanyayahan ko ang lahat na panoorin ang interview na ito sa akin ng yumaong beteranong journalist na si Melo Acuna, isang taon bago ang halalan.

Alalahanin natin ang ating mga sinimulan at magpasalamat tayo sa biyaya ng lakas, talino, kalusugan at pagbubuklod para ipagpatuloy ang ating pangarap sa bayan.

Sisimulan nating ang selebrasyon sa Lunes, May 1 ng hapon sa pamamagitan ng isang National Virtual Assembly kung saan ang mga lider natin sa luzon, Visayas, Mindanao at NCR ang magbabahagi ng kanilang karanasan,pagsisikap at pananaw sa kinabukasan para lalo tayong mabigyan ng sigla sa pagpapatibay ng ating partido.

Maraming salamat,

Norberto Gonzales
Tagapangulo, PDSP
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COFFEE CHAT with PDSP Chair Norberto Gonzales, former Defense Secretary/National Security Adviser

Mula sa Team Norberto Gonzales, kami ay nakikiisa sa Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas -PDSP sa paggunita ng ika-50 anibersaryo ng partido at sa paggunita ng Pandaigdigang Araw ng mga Manggagawa.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas, Mabuhay Ang Manggagawang Pilipino, Mabuhay ang PDSP! 🌹

Maraming salamat po 🌹💙
Tuloy ang laban!
-NBG

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sec Norberto Gonzales! 🥳

Christ is Risen! ✝️
Happy Easter!

There is no limit to the love God has for all of us and that reflects in the sacrifice He made for everyone. Have a blessed Holy Week. 🙏🏻

The EDSA People Power Revolution of 1986
By: Sec. Norberto Gonzales

REVOLUTIONS normally start with good and noble intentions. The Philippine EDSA People Power Revolution of February 1986 was no exception. But like other revolutions, it can also be subjected to more public bashing than the scholarly scrutiny it deserves. The EDSA People Power Revolution of 1986 was a world model for peaceful regime change, but to a growing number of populist quarters today, it is considered a tragic failure. Its principals are accused of not fulfilling their avowed intentions. President Cory Aquino, however, had often stated during her presidency that her public role was limited to ending the dictatorship and she had precisely achieved that.

A sizable group of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cavaliers, mostly retired officers who had served as top echelon commanders of our Armed Forces, recently issued a manifesto raising a most fundamental issue. They spoke of monumental corruption in public office. In essence ending corruption was a major mission or objective of the EDSA People Power Revolution of February 1986.

Corruption has become the system in the Philippines. Unless this is properly understood as the reality of our society, corruption will not go away. We cannot end corruption by simply addressing instances of it. We need to fight corruption right within the fundamental system that gives it life. This fundamental system is our politics, the political system.

Politics is fundamental to our existence because politics is the societal system that determines who gets what, or as some would put it sarcastically, who gets away with what in our society. Our politicians willfully allowed corruption to control our electoral system. Electronically enhanced cheating, and the effective manipulation of public sentiment allows our politicians, more than us, to choose among themselves who should govern and lead us. Corruption determines our collective future.

It is obvious that ending corruption means changing our politics. The EDSA People Power Revolution of February 1986 gave us the golden opportunity to reform the political power structure of government, and peacefully at that. We failed in achieving this. In fact, the more obvious product of the revolution was the restoration of the pre-martial law version of dirty politics and political family dynasties.

Charter change:

Just before the establishment of martial rule in the Philippines in September of 1972, youths all over the world were seriously protesting and demanding structural changes in their own societies. The Philippine response to that worldwide protest was Charter change and we did change our Charter. We did another Charter change right after the EDSA Revolution and today we are again pursuing the possibility of another chance to rewrite the Constitution.

It is not true that Charter change is not effective in initiating fundamental societal change. But its sufficiency is subject to question. While the Philippine Charter was already changed twice, the dismal condition of the people remained the same.

What is true, given our experience with societal change, is that those in control of our political system are so entrenched that even Charter change cannot cause an authentic political transformation. And again today, the prevailing mood among our politicians is to focus on the economic provisions of the Charter. Their preferred constitutional changes are not about shifting the economy to favor the common good, but to entrench even more the interests of our politico-economic elite.

Analysis and conclusion:

Our people are no stranger to joining revolutions, violent or peaceful. We want change. But change for the better is yet to be achieved by us. From all indications our people may again be inspired to mobilize and rise to the clamor for change. However, this time the challenge may even be bigger because the crisis we are facing is not only about us.

The world is changing and so are the formulas for national survival. The dominant world economic order gained for a privileged few untold riches, but in the process ruined the planet and its environment. The same privileged few can only see even more riches gained through violence and wars. Humanity is drifting farther and farther from the path of peace. The world is on the brink of another world war. These prevailing external conditions are at our doorstep, and cannot be ignored.

Our historical past is rich with lessons. Our people went through both peaceful and violent struggles for reforms and liberation from colonial rule. In more recent times we suffered two decades of martial-backed dictatorship, but our people rose to overthrow it.

Through all these national experiences, our own politico-economic elite managed to dominate the change process and chose to ignore the common good. Because of this our people missed precious historical junctures to achieve progress and prosperity for all. We should not forget history nor allow its revisions. There lies, in the historical details of our struggles, hints for chartering the future we deserve.

COMMENTARY - The Manila Times
Source: https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/02/28/opinion/columns/the-edsa-people-power-revolution-of-1986/1880589

TWIN POLICY OF DETERRENCE AND NON-AGGRESSION

By Norberto B. Gonzales
February 18, 2023

FOR decades after the Second World War, humanity committed to and pursued a world without war. Nations adopted the peaceful settlement of conflicts and of having mutual respect to unavoidable differences in culture, politics and even faith. In geopolitics, this commitment to avoid the horrors of war and resolve conflicts bloodlessly is known as the "post-WW 2 global rules-based international order."

This era of world peace could end, or potentially already has. The war in Ukraine has brought this shift, and not only because of the immense loss of life and destruction brought by a genocidal war of conquest. This represents the return of the idea that violent acts are an acceptable or even inevitable method for states to employ to resolve conflicts and pursue aspirations, further encouraged by the incredible accuracy and precise lethality of today's battlefield. Yet this enormous tragedy only foreshadows what could potentially be the most destructive conflict our shared planet has ever seen. The contentious question of freedom of navigation and rules-based multilateral order in the Pacific looms ominously. We are waist-deep in a Second Cold War. American fighter jets have fired missiles over American territorial waters.

The geographical location of the Philippines puts us right in the middle of this conflict. Our fishermen and maritime security forces have experienced it firsthand. Fish have been stolen, lasers have been fired at Philippine Coast Guard vessels, and the rhetoric continues to escalate. There is no sign of an easing of tensions in the near future.

Curse or gift

Depending on your perspective, this situation could either be a curse or a gift of providence. We as a nation, contingent on how our leaders steer us into the future, could today either allow the expansion of conflict into a full-blown world war or end it from where it is already raging today. This brings us to the integrated policies of deterrence and non-aggression.

This strategy is the only option for a nation committed to a peace which respects our rights. It is a deliberate effort, clear-eyed, to adhere to the principles of nonviolence as the dominant precondition to achieving progress. As the principal objective, we must avoid war. Deterrence is the only tool left for us by the surrounding superpowers and our geopolitical situation.

The success of deterrence allows the nation to pursue the policy of non-aggression. Non-aggression means no foreign invasion and the paramount commitment to peaceful settlement of external conflict.

For us to be allowed this privilege, we need a credible deterrence capability. This may appear difficult, but it is absolutely feasible. The elements for it are in us, and whatever is lacking is there for the asking due to our circumstances and abundance of willing partners.

The essential first step is to manifest in no uncertain terms love of country. We need to actualize the borne determination of our people to defend with their lives the fundamental interests of our nation and their individual rights to self-determination. The citizen army concept as mandated by the Constitution should have its enabling laws. The armed forces should prepare the reserve force command as a major unit capable of integrating the citizenry in times of crisis. More than that, forming ourselves into a credible obstacle to foreign hegemony will require a whole-of-society effort, including civil society and the private sector.

We need to structure a modest but lethal defense capability. This is not possible unless we choose and align ourselves to a particular side. Defense procurement is an intimate interstate process. We already have a Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States. What we need to achieve as a matter of national interest is to make clear to the Americans our understanding of the underlying principle behind the treaty. We have a shared responsibility as a matter of mutual interest to keep our part of the world safe and free.

Sharing of responsibility means to us not only opening our bases for mutual use, but also about requirements to enhance the deterrence quality of our Armed Forces. The Americans will gladly share critical know-how and military assets with us, and in this context the global West could be our vendors. America needs the support of our nation to accomplish their goals, and in any conflict our armed forces will have a crucial role to play in enabling victory.

Pursue other alliances

It is important that our armed forces are not tainted by perceived subservience. This is our people's home. Our alliance cannot be exclusively American. We must pursue bilateral defense agreements with our neighbors as well. Japan, despite being a former aggressor, is our friendliest neighbor today and has an impressive defense-industrial base. We must pursue a mutual defense arrangement with Japan. We can also explore a similar bilateral arrangement with South Korea, another rapidly re-arming neighbor with high-tech expertise.

We must see the possibility of expanding the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Asean becoming a regional defense system similar to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) of Europe may not be immediately feasible. The leverage Chinese debt has over some members is considerable. But the changing landscape of regional security may already favor the bilateral and multilateral discussion among Asean member states about becoming a regional defense body.

Asean as a regional defense alliance will benefit from mutual cooperation arrangements not only with the United States, Japan and South Korea, but with other friendly nations in this part of the world — the Oceanic countries, India, and even the Islamic world.
A non-aggression policy enables the establishment of cooperation and good working relations with states such as China, even when we are militarily within the United States' circle of defense alliances. A non-aggression policy limits our response over disputes to peaceful solutions, such as raising the issue to relevant bodies, like the world courts and the United Nations.

Credible deterrence, combined with the strong commitment of nations to non-aggression, can eliminate wars. We absolutely do not need a catastrophic third world war to restore peace in the world moving forward.

The author was secretary of national defense and national security adviser in the Arroyo administration.

Photo by J. Gerard Seguia

Read more: https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/02/18/opinion/columns/twin-policy-of-deterrence-and-non-aggression/1879190

'Country's leaders must ensure a professional AFP'

THE country's leaders must see to it that the military is committed to professionalism, a former defense secretary and national security adviser said.

"We have to look into the quality of the national leadership that we have because that will impact an institution like the armed forces," Norberto Gonzales said on "Business and Politics," a program hosted by The Manila Times Chairman and CEO Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd every Saturday night on SMNI.

Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier confirmed there was some discontent in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), but attributed it to the "anxiety" over the impact of Republic Act 11709 on the officers' careers.

Under RA 11709 or the "Act Strengthening Professionalism in the AFP," the chief of staff, vice chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, heads of the major services, unified command commanders and inspector general will have a fixed three-year term.
To appease the rumblings in the military, "ideas" that have been floated in the past should be reviewed, such as making sure that only the best among military officers are promoted.

"There are certain lessons, like if you achieve the rank of colonel, for example, and then at a given point you are not rising beyond that rank then you will be asked to retire," said Gonzales. "That is just one way of allowing the promotion of people who can measure up to the demands of the institution. I really do not see that in the law that we have today."

He said the idea of fixed terms for senior positions in the military also have to be re-evaluated.

"Why not continue with that? You do not need amendments to the law," said Gonzales, who was a candidate in the 2022 presidential election.

"You cannot just allow certain defects or certain personalities in our political system to be cured by certain laws," he added.
Gonzales, who was the presidential chief of staff under the administration of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, said he does not believe the Armed Forces wants to destabilize the government.

"Their priority is stability of the nation, especially in times like these wherein there are other more serious concerns in the world and in the country itself," he said.

Gonzales also said the recent death of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria "Joma" Sison has no direct effect on the local communist movement.

"Joma is really more of a symbol to the communist movement in the country than actually occupying a top position in the CPP-NPA (New People's Army) because he had been with them since the beginning," he said.

Gonzales said the CPP-NPA is intact as an organization, and what it is looking for is "a new symbol."

"As far as their operations are concerned, it will continue," he said.

Gonzales noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can have an effective but "not necessarily open" way to deal with the decades-long insurgency by bringing in an independent facilitator.

"To get a quiet but effective third-party facilitator can actually convince the communist movement to give up its arms struggle," said Gonzales.

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-PH/news/national/country-s-leaders-must-ensure-a-professional-afp/ar-AA16RM8p?ocid=sprinklr_sch

UNREST IN THE MILITARY APPEASED "FOR NOW"

THE naming of a new Defense chief and National Security Adviser (NSA) by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. may have quelled the growing unrest within the military "for now," but other crucial matters require further attention, a former defense official said.

Norberto Gonzales, who headed the Department of National Defense (DND) and later the NSA during the Arroyo administration, said the appointment of Carlito Galvez Jr. as DND secretary and Eduardo Año as NSA, may have silenced the grumbling in the military establishment, but Marcos must look beyond issues of leadership to stabilize the situation.

One of the major tasks of the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is to see to it that "even if there is some type of grumbling, their prevailing attitude is to normalize things as soon as possible," Gonzales said in a roundtable interview organized by The Manila Times on Monday.

He said the President's decision to appoint Galvez and Año averted a possible security crisis.
A growing restlessness has spread particularly among former high-ranking military officials because members of some Philippine Military Academy (PMA) batches have been overlooked for promotion, Gonzales said.

"These are former officers of the armed forces who normally would not raise a voice of anything, but suddenly there is a concern [among them]. They said 'this is already our institution.' Of course, I can't help it. I have to react," he said.

The issues concerning national security involve more than just the military, Gonzales said. "When you look at the overall security cluster of the President, that would involve the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Justice, the DILG (Interior and Local Government), Defense."

It is for this reason that Gonzales suggested that the President review the efforts of past administrations to preserve the traditions, integrity, and professionalism of the military.

Another roundtable participant, former senator Francisco "Kit" Tatad, expressed hope that Marcos would reach out to former Cabinet officials and other key government agencies to gain a different perspective on how to address the country's most pressing problems such as the high inflation rate and the food crisis.

"We're just a phone call away," Tatad, who was press secretary for the President's Marcos late father, Ferdinand Sr., said.

Gonzales said another concern that requires in-depth analysis is the decades-long insurgency.

The recent death of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison may have created a vacuum in the local communist leadership and given the government "some breathing space," but the Marcos administration must not be too complacent since "small communist groups in the region are being revived," he said.

Threats outside the country's borders, particularly those posed by Islamic State-influenced terrorist organizations, still remain, Gonzales said.

"There are certain developments not only in the Philippines but also in the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region. There seems to be a revival of communist movements in countries in the region. Most of them were almost dead but now being revived. What's most disturbing is, we have noticed, these small political parties have traces not just of communists but also of Muslim radicals," he said.

The intelligence community must widen its focus to include regional developments, Gonzales said.

PHOTO:
FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN Former Defense secretary Norberto Gonzales (center) talks to Manila Times Chairman and CEO Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd (right) and columnist and former senator Francisco ‘Kit’ Tatad (left) on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, on the recent controversial appointments by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., especially in the return of Gen. Andres Centino as Armed Forces chief, and its possible impact on the establishment and the government. In the foreground are reporters Kristina Maralit and Franco Barona. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA

ARTICLE SOURCE:
https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/01/17/news/unrest-in-military-appeased-for-now/1874581/amp?fbclid=IwAR3jgVP06siJP6yboDT5EmF1Oizzcya0JDpDkYCNDE9X4Wzll-6oJNL7ob4





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