Palace offers 'first and last' look at Presidential Situation Room
Malacañang offered today a “first and last” look at the Presidential Situation Room (PSR) where President Benigno S. Aquino III will be briefed on matters relating to national security.
In an press conference at the PSR conference room located at the National Security Assessment Center in Malacañang Park this morning, National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia presented some of the PSR’s functions and features.
He said the PSR’s main function is to provide a venue “to give the President a situational awareness of what’s going on in the country that might have an impact or implication on national security.”
“So on a daily basis, we supply the president with a short brief of these events going on and comment on them if they are significant or not,” Garcia said.
He added that the second function of the PSR, which was created by virtue of Administrative Order No. 2 signed by President Aquino last Sept. 17, “is to be venue of a crisis management situation center in the event of a national crisis.”
“This is where the crisis management committee will convene to discuss an ongoing situation and probably arrive at a decision on the various courses of action that are made available,” Garcia said.
Garcia said the PSR is currently undergoing upgrades and improvements in its communication and equipment facilities to include secure teleconferencing features that would give them better ability and capability to manage any crisis.
He declined to give specific details on the communication and equipment upgrades for security reasons but said the first phase of the upgrade program that includes the repair and rehabilitation of the NSAC would cost some P5.5-million.
“We will install additional equipment as soon as this press conference is over and I’m afraid this will be the first and the last time that we will be inviting you to this facility,” Garcia said.
Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang, who was also present during the press conference stressed the importance of providing “secure, untappable, uninterrupted 24-hour communications” with security stakeholders.
“So they’ve established equipment so that there will be uninterrupted communication with concerned agencies,” Carandang said.
Joining Garcia were Gen. Manuel Llena, officer-in-charge, Anti-Terrorism Coordinating Council; Leonida Brosas, Assistant Director General, National Security Council; Ching Clamor, Assistant Director General National Intelligence Coordinating Agency; Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda and Carandang. (PCOO)
Palace revising crisis management manual
Security stakeholders including the Cabinet Security Cluster will soon come out with a broader crisis management manual that will address not only security crisis but also economic crisis.
“We are in the process of revising the present crisis management manual. This will not be an easy process,” National Security Adviser Retired General Cesar Garcia said in a press briefing at the Presidential Situation Room at the Presidential Security Group Compound in Malacanang.
Garcia said the new manual will have to define clearly the roles of local government officials such as mayors, in crisis management.
“There are things that need to be included so it will take a little bit more time because we also recognized it is not just security crisis but also other types of crises,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang said.
“We are also talking about economic crisis. For example there was never a manual that addresses the (economic) situation such as evaluating the present currencies and debt crisis,” he added.
The present crisis management manual was crafted during the term of former President Joseph Estrada .It was drafted by top officials from different agencies including the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Local Government, National Defense, Social Welfare and Development, the Bureau of Immigration, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The manual provides procedures needed in dealing with all kinds of situation including hostage-taking not only of local residents but including foreign nationals. (PCOO)
Aquino inducts GRP peace panel members, 21 new generals
President Benigno S. Aquino III inducted Monday members of the newly-formed government panel for the peace talks with communist rebels, 21 newly-appointed generals and other national government officers.
The members of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) peace panel sworn in by the President at Malacanang’s Ceremonial Hall were Atty. Alexander A. Padilla, as chief negotiator; human rights advocate Atty. Pablito Sanidad, gender and labor rights advocate Jurgette Honculada, and indigenous people’s rights advocate Ednar Dayanghirang.
Padilla, a graduate of the University of the Philippines, has handled human rights cases during the martial law regime years, and served as a senior state prosecutor of the Justice Department and health undersecretary in charge of regulations.
Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Quinto-Deles said Padilla's appointment "signals the President's resolve in restarting the peace process that is aimed towards addressing the root causes of the armed conflict and forging a political settlement."
The newly-appointed generals and flag officers are Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ricardo A. David, Lt. Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr., Major Generals Jessie D. Dollosa, Rustico O. Guerrero, Ricardo C. Banayat, Gregrio E. Macapagal and Lauro Catalino G. Dela Cruz; Brigadier Generals Ernesto R. Aradanas, Romeo V. Calizo, Essel D. Soriano, Nestor A. Anonuevo, Benito Antonio T. De Leon, Ricardo Rainier G. Cruz, Neal P. Gacrama, Eldon Luis G. Nemenzo, Rosalindo C. Acacio, Fred M. Payawan, Edwin Manuel F. Remotigue, Raul L. Dimatatac, Romeo T. Tanalgo, and Commodore Jaime S. Bernardino as commander of the Joint Task Force Malampaya.
The new Undersecretaries are Josefina Patricia A.Magpale-Asirit of the Department of Energy, Jose M. Layug Jr. The new Assistant Secretaries were Luz M. Cantor and Amelita D. Castillo of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Elmer G. Punzalan as acting Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health,
Emmeline L. Versoza as acting executive director of the Philippine Commission on Women, Alex Ramon Q. Cabanilla as deputy chairman with the rank of Undersecretary of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Magdangal B. Elma as presidential assistant for special concerns with the rank of Secretary, Lucille Sering as vice chairperson of the Climate Change Commission.
Other officials were Froila A. Tampinco as president/chief executive officer of the National Power Corporation, and Atty. Antonio M. Bernardo as commissioner and CEO of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), Atty. LIto A. Mondragon as president and CEO of the Philippine Mining Development Corporation; Dr. Aileen Alteros Riegos Javier as executive director of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.
Virgilio A. Yuzon as chairman of the NBN-4; Lutgardo C. Navarro as deputy administrator of Light Rail Transit Authority and Redentor T. Reyes as acting executive director of the Land Transportation Office both attached agencies of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC); and Reynaldo R. Ubaldo as executive director IV of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board. (PCOO)
