Malacañang: No need to convene NSC amid reports on terror threat

(Updated 3:33 p.m.) Malacañang sees no need to convene the National Security Council (NSC) amid intelligence reports indicating possible terror attacks on the country. At a press briefing Friday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigal Valte said President Benigno Aquino III is letting the Cabinet security council handle the matter. “Yung security cluster naman po natin is in place and doon naman po nagkakaroon ng opportunity ‘yung iba’t ibang mga ahensya to coordinate and to discuss and to assess the situation. So, at this point, hina-handle na po yun ng security cluster natin," she added. Asked why the President does not want to convene the NSC, Valte said “Siguro po at this time naha-handle pa po kasi at the level of the security cluster yung mga concerns po natin." The NSC is composed of President Aquino, Vice President Jejomar Binay, National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia, Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa Jr., Foreign Affairs Seretary Albert del Rosario, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Labor Secretary Baldoz. Maybe invited to join the NSC meetings are former the presidents. Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Defense Department described the reported terror threat as unsubstantiated. "We don’t give credence to this because we cannot because we cannot verify or confirm this report," said Defense undersecretary and concurrent spokesman Eduardo Batac at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo. Still, Batac assured the public that the intelligence community remains vigilant on possible attacks. "The moment there are reports like that, whether verified or unverified, the intelligence community will have to intensify'... operations," he said. Earlier, Ochoa also said there was no need to convene the NSC to tackle the Philippines-China dispute over the Spratlys in the West Philippine Sea. He said, the security cluster, which is under him, is constantly assessing the matter. — LBG, GMA News