The US Intelligence Community—a group of 17 agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency—recently identified in a report the perceived threats to US national security in Southeast Asia. The group’s “Worldwide Threat Assessment,” released on February 13, included President Duterte under the heading “regional threats.”
Part of the report said: “In the Philippines, President Duterte will continue to wage his signature campaign against drugs, corruption and crime. Duterte has suggested he could suspend the Constitution, declare a ‘revolutionary government’ and impose nationwide martial law. His declaration of martial law in Mindanao, responding to the ISIS-inspired siege of Marawi City, has been extended through the end of 2018.”
The report also identified the following regional threats in Southeast Asia:
- Cambodian leader Hun Sen, who “will repress democratic institutions and civil society, manipulate government and judicial institutions, and use patronage and political violence to guarantee his rule beyond the 2018
national election.” - The Rohingya crisis that “will threaten Burma’s fledgling democracy, increase the risk of violent extremism and provide openings for Beijing to expand its influence.”
- The pledge of Thailand’s leaders to hold elections late this year, even as the new constitution “will institutionalize the military’s influence.”
Daniel Coats, US director of national intelligence, said the report covers threats to US national security. The output of the US intelligence agencies, he added, is needed “to protect American lives and America’s interests anywhere in the world.”
Malacañang was not pleased and castigated the US intelligence agencies for calling the President a regional threat in Southeast Asia. In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr. said the US Intelligence Community’s assessment is myopic and speculative at best. Although the Chief Executive previously said he has to act like a dictator, Roque claimed Duterte “is no autocrat” and has no “autocratic tendencies.” He said the Chief Executive adheres to the rule of law and remains loyal to the Constitution.
Roque reacted to the report, saying there is no revolutionary government or nationwide martial law, which US intelligence officials are saying that the President might declare or impose. He also defended the Duterte administration’s use of social media to promote government messages and accomplishments, after the US Intelligence Community cited a 2016 Freedom House report that said the Philippines is among 30 countries “whose governments used social media to spread government views, to drive agendas and to counter criticism of the government online.”
Roque countered: “I don’t know of any government in the free world that does not use the Internet and social media to promote its agenda. This is very true especially in the case of the US. This latest intelligence assessment is a classic case in point.”
Roque clarified that “an autocracy is not prevalent [in the Philippines], as they would like everyone to believe. Our media are still able to broadcast and print what they want—fake news included. Our Judiciary and the courts are functioning as usual. Our legislature remains independent and basic services are still being delivered.”
“We like to be friends with the United States,” Roque said, “but with declaration such as this, it is very difficult to be friendly with the US. This is something that we’re taking very seriously. It’s coming from the US Intelligence Community. It’s not even coming from the State Department. It’s something that the President will take seriously, as well.”