Philippine Intelligence Agency Deployed for Fear of Prices Crisis

Philippine intelligence agency deployed for fear of prices crisis

MANILA, July 11 (Xinhua) — Amid warnings of possible civil unrest over soaring food and fuel prices, the Philippine government has included a military intelligence service in a superbody that would implement preventive measures to address the crisis, reports said on Friday.

The government has included the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the newly created Energy Contingency Task Force, a superbody under the supervision of the National Food and Energy Council that will monitor the food and energy situation in the face of possible food riots, the Philippine Star reported.

The Energy Contingency Task Force will be headed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita who will report to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as chairman of the National Food and Energy Council.

The task force will have almost all members of the Cabinet and appropriate agencies giving their inputs on how to address the deteriorating economic situation.

The Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, headed by former Presidential Security Group chief Romeo Prestoza, has been tasked to make “timely intelligence assessment of political and security developments related to the oil price issue and alert government offices on the same,” said the report.

Palace officials said this means the intelligence agency will provide advice on matters affecting national security.

Ermita said the inclusion of the intelligence agency in the economic superbody is necessary considering the national security implications of soaring food and fuel prices.

“In fact, this (oil and food crisis) should be everybody’s concern,” Ermita said.

“There is a need to detect on time possible irregularities on the ground,” he added.

He said the intelligence agency would be on board the National Food and Energy Council only to give advice and assessments on security issues.

Ermita drew analogies from transport strikes where military or police trucks were used to ferry stranded commuters, or during disasters and calamities where the Armed Forces are sent to help in rescue efforts.

Militant groups earlier warned of food riots over the tightening supply and rising prices of rice.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) earlier this week also warned of civil unrest if the government fails to address the increasing consumer prices.

A top security official revealed the intelligence community is currently validating reports of extreme elements exploiting the situation to create political turmoil.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza, however, assured food riots in the country are a remote possibility. “Filipinos are not like that, ” he said.

The creation of the superbody with the inclusion of the intelligence agency came on the heels of the record-high 11.4- percent inflation rate that hit the country due to the runaway increase of food and fuel prices.

(c) 2008 Xinhua News Agency – CEIS. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.