What is the function of the National Security Adviser?

Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Eduardo Oban Jr. was recently named as the new National Security Adviser (NSA) following Secretary Eduardo Año's resignation.

But what exactly does an NSA do?

The NSA is the Director General of the National Security Council (NSC), which serves as an advisory body to the President on matters concerning national security.

This position holds the rank of Secretary in the government and is appointed by the President.

The 1987 Constitution mandates civilian control of the military and establishes the President as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), according to globalsecurity.org.

The President leads the NSC in the policy-making and advisory body for matters connected with national security. 

But in 1986, then-President Corazon Aquino overhauled the NSC through an executive order that provided for an NSC director to advise the President on national security matters.

“The Council shall have a permanent Secretariat which shall be under the supervision and control of the National Security Director,” Section 5 of the Executive Order No. 115, December 24, 1986 states.

“The National Security Director shall be assisted by a Deputy who, like the National Security Director, shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the President. The National Security Director shall attend and participate in meetings of the Cabinet and have the privileges of a member thereof,” it added.

The NSA provides direct advice to the President on security and defense issues as well as the implementations of the decisions and policies adopted by the President.

“Among other duties, the National Security Director shall advise the President on matters pertaining to national security and, whenever directed by the President, see to the implementation of decisions and policies adopted by the President and/or the NSC which have implications on national security,” Section 7 reads.

The NSA sets the rules and regulations on the NSC operations.

“The National Security Director, in conjunction with the Minister of Budget and Management, is hereby authorized to organize the Secretariat, prepare its plans, budget, staff and personnel,” Section 6 states.

“The National Security Director shall likewise promulgate the rules and regulations to govern the operation of both the Council and the Secretariat: PROVIDED, that the said budget and staffing pattern and the rules and regulations shall be effective only upon their approval by the President,” it added.

With the creation of the NSA position, more roles were given to the NSC:

• to advise the President with respect to the integration of domestic, foreign, military, political, economic, social, and educational policies relating to the national security so as to enable all concerned ministries, departments and agencies of the government to meet more effectively, problems and matters involving the national security
• to evaluate and analyze all information, events, and incidents in terms of the risks they pose or implications upon and/or threats to the overall security and stability of the nation, for the purpose of recommending to the President appropriate responses thereto and/or action thereon;
• to formulate and coordinate the implementation of policies on matters of common interest to the various ministries, departments, and agencies of the government concerned with the national security, and to make recommendations to the President in connection therewith;
• to insure that policies adopted by the NSC on national security are effectively and efficiently implemented;
• to make such recommendations and/or render such other reports as the President may from time to time direct.

The NSC has gone through more changes mostly on memberships under ex-President Fidel V. Ramos' Executive Order No. 33 in 1992, ex-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Executive Order No. 34 in 2001 and current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s  Executive Order No. 81 in 2005.

In Marcos' EO, the incumbent Vice President and past presidents have been removed from the NSC composition.

— RSJ, GMA News