National Security Council (Philippines)

The National Security Council (NSC; Filipino: Sanggunian sa Pambansang

Seguridad) is the principal forum of the president of the
Philippines considering national security and foreign policy matters with his
senior national security advisors and cabinet officials.

The NSC consists of two distinct bodies – the Council Proper and the National
Security Council Secretariat.

The council proper is a collegial body chaired by the President. It includes

concerned officials of the Cabinet and Congress, as members, as well as other
government officials and private citizens who may be invited by the president.

The council was created during the Quirino Administration through Executive
Order (EO) No. 330, dated July 1, 1950. It was reorganized by virtue of EO No.
115, series of 1986.

The NSC secretariat is a permanent body that provides technical support to the
council proper. It is headed by the Director-General and the National Security
Adviser.

FUNCTIONS
1. The NSC's function is to advise the President with respect to the
integration of domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to
national security. It is also said that it serves as the President's
principal arm for coordinating these policies among various
government departments and agencies in matters involving national
security
COMPOSITION
As provided in the Administrative Code of 1987, the council is composed
of the;

I. President as chairman,
 II. the vice-president,
III. the Secretary of Foreign Affairs,
IV. the Executive Secretary,
V. the Secretary of National Defense,
VI. the Secretary of Justice,
VII. the Secretary of Labor and Employment,
VIII. the Secretary of Local Governments,
IX. the National Security Director,
X. the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
- and such other government officials and private individuals
as the President may appoint. However, the same law allows
the President to reorganize the administrative structure of
the Office of the President.

THE CRIMINAL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES

Title I General Principles
Chapter 1 Applicability Section
1. No crime without law. There is no crime unless the act is defined and
penalized by this Code or other laws at the time of commission. Criminal laws
are prospective in application unless favorable to the accused. Section
2. Scope. This Code shall apply to:
Territoriality
1. Crimes committed within the Philippines or against a
government facility of the Philippines abroad, including its embassy,
diplomatic or consular premises regardless of the location of the
perpetrator or when the effects happen in these places;
2. It also covers those committed in an aircraft, ship or vessel of
Philippine registry or in an aircraft, ship or vessel originating from,
passing through or destined for the Philippines; Protection
 3. Crimes committed outside the Philippines against any Philippine
citizen, or entity registered in the Philippines, if committed against
national security or interest or punishable by level 4 or higher
crime, unless punishable in the place where the crime is
committed; Nationality
4. Crimes committed outside the Philippines by a Philippine
citizen; and Universality
5. Crimes committed against humanity and the law of nations.
Section 3. State duty. Principles of opportunity and legality. The State has
the primary duty to investigate and prosecute crimes and to impose penalties.
The principle of legality shall apply when the penalty is level 4 and higher. The
principle of opportunity shall apply at other levels.

Section 4. National law and local law. When a single act violates a national
law and a local law, the national law shall prevail. The penalty beyond level 1 is
imposable only by national laws.

CRIMES AGAINST NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE LAW OF NATIONS

Chapter One
CRIMES AGAINST NATIONAL SECURITY
Section One. — Treason and espionage

Art. 114. Treason. — Any person who, owing allegiance to (the United States or)
the Government of the Philippine Islands, not being a foreigner, levies war
against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort within the
Philippine Islands or elsewhere, shall be punished by reclusion temporal to
death and shall pay a fine not to exceed P20,000 pesos.
No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two
witnesses at least to the same overt act or on confession of the accused in
open court.chanrobles virtual law library

Likewise, an alien, residing in the Philippine Islands, who commits acts of

treason as defined in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be punished by
prision mayor to death and shall pay a fine not to exceed P20,000
pesos. (As amended by E.O. No. 44, May 31, 1945).

Art. 115. Conspiracy and proposal to commit treason; Penalty. — The

conspiracy or proposal to commit the crime of treason shall be punished
respectively, by prision mayor and a fine not exceeding P10,000 pesos,
and prision correccional and a fine not exceeding P5,000 pesos.chanrobles
virtual law library

Art. 116. Misprision of treason. — Every person owing allegiance to (the

United States) the Government of the Philippine Islands, without being a
foreigner, and having knowledge of any conspiracy against them, conceals
or does not disclose and make known the same, as soon as possible to the
governor or fiscal of the province, or the mayor or fiscal of the city in
which he resides, as the case may be, shall be punished as an accessory to
the crime of treason.chanrobles virtual law library

Art. 117. Espionage. — The penalty of prision correccional shall be

inflicted upon any person who:

1. Without authority therefor, enters a warship, fort, or naval or

military establishment or reservation to obtain any information,
plans, photographs, or other data of a confidential nature relative to
the defense of the Philippine Archipelago; or

2. Being in possession, by reason of the public office he holds, of the

articles, data, or information referred to in the preceding paragraph,
 discloses their contents to a representative of a foreign
nation.chanrobles virtual law library

The penalty next higher in degree shall be imposed if the offender be a public
officer or employee.

Section Two. — Provoking war and disloyalty in case of war

Art. 118. Inciting to war or giving motives for reprisals. — The penalty of
reclusion temporal shall be imposed upon any public officer or employee, and
that of prision mayor upon any private individual, who, by unlawful or
unauthorized acts provokes or gives occasion for a war involving or liable to
involve the Philippine Islands or exposes Filipino citizens to reprisals on their
persons or property.

Art. 119. Violation of neutrality. — The penalty of prision correccional

shall be inflicted upon anyone who, on the occasion of a war in which the
Government is not involved, violates any regulation issued by competent
authority for the purpose of enforcing neutrality.chanrobles virtual law
library

Art. 120. Correspondence with hostile country. — Any person who in time
of war, shall have correspondence with an enemy country or territory
occupied by enemy troops shall be punished:

1. By prision correccional, if the correspondence has been

prohibited by the Government;

2. By prision mayor, if such correspondence be carried on in ciphers

or conventional signs; and

3. By reclusion temporal, if notice or information be given thereby

which might be useful to the enemy. If the offender intended to aid
 the enemy by giving such notice or information, he shall suffer the
penalty of reclusion temporal to death.chanrobles virtual law library

Art. 121. Flight to enemy country. — The penalty of arresto mayor shall be
inflicted upon any person who, owing allegiance to the Government, attempts
to flee or go to an enemy country when prohibited by competent authority.

Section Three. — Piracy and mutiny on the high seas

Art. 122. Piracy in general and mutiny on the high seas. — The penalty of
reclusion temporal shall be inflicted upon any person who, on the high seas,
shall attack or seize a vessel or, not being a member of its complement nor a
passenger, shall seize the whole or part of the cargo of said vessel, its
equipment, or personal belongings of its complement or passengers.

The same penalty shall be inflicted in case of mutiny on the high

seas.chanrobles virtual law library

Art. 123. Qualified piracy. — The penalty of reclusion temporal to death

shall be imposed upon those who commit any of the crimes referred to in
the preceding article, under any of the following circumstances:

1. Whenever they have seized a vessel by boarding or firing upon the

same;

2. Whenever the pirates have abandoned their victims without

means of saving themselves; or

3. Whenever the crime is accompanied by murder, homicide,

physical injuries or rape.chanrobles virtual law library