Security

I am happy Claire Carlos accepted the challenge of serving as National Security Adviser in the incoming administration. She has the academic training, the familiarity with the literature, the maturity, the independence of mind and the articulateness to do a good job of it.

Claire and I were colleagues at the UP Department of Political Science for more decades than I would care to admit. The passion she brought to teaching is unparalleled. Every term, she topped the student evaluation ratings for teaching effectiveness.

Once, a fraternity rumble broke out and a band of thugs entered her classroom to beat up a student from a rival fraternity. She protected the student with her body and was celebrated for that.

We were fortunate to have served during a time when independence and diversity of views was valued at the Department of Political Science. The faculty included liberals, Weberians, pro-Beijing Maoists, pro-Soviet Marxists, existentialists, phenomenologists and advocates of quantitative methods. It was like Noah’s Ark where every species was represented.

During the martial law period, there were those who supported the Marcos regime and those who worked tirelessly to bring it down. Our political opinions did not get in the way of friendly banters in the afternoon and intense chess matches in our faculty rooms.

I do not recall the Department issuing a common statement on anything. That would have undermined the independence of mind that we valued.

As a graduate student, I took every opportunity to enlist in the seminars of the iconic Remigio Agpalo. We disagreed on everything and argued endlessly during class. He found a way to silence me by quoting classical Greek epics from memory and at length. That always left me agape.

Former UP president Francisco Nemenzo, who recruited me to a life of teaching, likened the Department of Political Science to the Hobbesian State of Nature where every man is pitted against every other. It made the academe worth its while.

This was the environment that reared Claire Carlos. This is why, at first blush, she might strike people as outspoken and argumentative. But her thoughts are always clear. She deserves her name.

I am sure it is never easy to leave the comforts of retirement to rejoin government. In my case, after two years of working mainly from home, putting on a tie is a chore.

In Claire’s case, it seems her passion and energy for doing government work is undiminished. She can make her job smaller or bigger as she wished. My guess is that she will make the office she is bound for more expansive.

National security can be a broad and complex concern. Jose Almonte, as Ramos’ national security adviser, functioned as chief ideologue of a reformist presidency. He supported policy reforms that liberalized the economy and loosened the grip of the oligarchy.

The scope of national security concerns may also be narrowed to strictly military terms: looking after our territorial defense and suppressing the lingering insurgencies. Although she once served as president of the National Defense College, I do not think Carlos will settle for a reduced scope of the job.

Perhaps the role of National Security Adviser might be now defined as something akin to that of the Chief Risk Officer (CRO). In modern corporate governance, with increased importance given to managing risk, the CRO plays the vital role of constantly scanning the horizon to identify emerging threats.

Identifying emerging threats enabled effective threat management. Risk-based management is vital for the nation-state as it is for corporations.

The risks are not always political. In fact, in modern governments, political risks enjoy lesser importance than other considerations in a world characterized by volatility and uncertainty.

The first task of government is to protect the people. In its most modern sense, protecting the people means taking prompt action to ensure environmental sustainability, food security and a stronger capacity for community action to address impending calamities.

At this time, considering the fragility of our island ecosystems, the overarching threat to our people’s wellbeing is climate change. With most of our population settled in coastal cities, any change in sea levels caused by a warming planet will bring severe consequences.

The next government will have to mobilize the entire nation to meet the multifold challenges posed by climate change. We need a program to build resilience not only in our infrastructure but also in our institutions.

The most urgent concern now is assuring our people food security. International organizations have been warning of massive food shortages towards the end of this year as a consequence of the war in Ukraine.

Food security involves not only supply but also price. Price defines accessibility. The global economy is now on an inflationary episode. Rising prices will reduce public access to food. Poverty will rise.

The National Security Adviser needs to look farther into the future to help strategize our food supply. This might involve innovative policy changes to pull up our agriculture from subsistence level.

Claire Carlos has said she is still studying the office for which she has been nominated. We can be assured she will assess the role of that office with a fresh set of eyes.

The president-elect she will be serving from next month does not fear new ideas and expert opinion. We see that from his first wave of nominations to key Cabinet posts.

Claire should not fear giving all her ideas full play. She will have a receptive boss and a public thirsting for new perspectives for the nation.