Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Tuesday lambasted former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo for questioning President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to reorganize the National Security Council (NSC) which resulted in the removal of Vice President Sara Duterte and the past presidents from its membership.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Bersamin said Panelo “has no moral authority” to question Marcos’ decision to issue Executive Order 81 directing the reorganization of the NSC.

Bersamin recalled how Panelo had pushed for the exclusion of then Vice President Leni Robredo from Cabinet meetings during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“I read somewhere that reminded me that Panelo, during his time as presidential adviser, advocated for the exclusion of then vice president Leni Robredo. So, he has no moral authority to question this decision of the President,” he said.

Panelo said the removal of Vice President Duterte from the NSC was an “ill-advised presidential move” that “smacks of dirty politics.”

He also criticized EO 81 as “another brazen measure to diminish the political star power of VP Sara.”

In response, Bersamin said it was the President’s responsibility to ensure that those who advised him were individuals in whom he had full trust and confidence.

“The President has absolute authority to reorganize government offices. There is nothing personal in the issuance of EO 81,” Bersamin said.

In a text message to reporters, Panelo said Bersamin was “misinformed” about the issue with Robredo during the previous administration.

“I never advocated for the exclusion of former VP Robredo from the National Security Council. She was in fact invited and attended the National Security Council meeting in July 2016 together with four living presidents (FVR, Erap, PGMA, PBCA) during the Duterte presidency,” Panelo said.

The three-page EO 81, signed by Marcos on 30 December, stated the “need to further guarantee that the NSC remains a resilient national security institution, capable of adapting to evolving challenges and opportunities both domestically and internationally.”

In signing EO 81, Marcos approved the removal of Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, along with former presidents Joseph “Erap” Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from the present list of NSC members.