Retired University of the Philippines professor Clarita Carlos wants to stop red-tagging and focus on addressing the "root of insurgency, lack of opportunity, and injustice" after she was named as National Security Adviser by President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"Let's not use labels. We will not benefit if we keep on labelling people. Let's put our energy on, operational aspects of really looking at the roots of insurgency, lack of opportunity, and injustice that were not yet addressed," Castro said in a television interview on Thursday morning.

"The local peace councils work and (by) paying attention to the roots of insurgency and rooting them out, it's really the way to go. So if it successful, let's just continue whoever started it," she added.

Carlos said despite the ongoing territorial dispute in the South China Sea, Marcos directed her to continue to enhance the critical engagement with China "on all levels".

She explained that aside from insurgency and the issue in the West Philippine Sea, national security is also about human security, which includes basic needs like food and energy.

"These are the security issues that (are) very near to the life of the people because national security is human security, food security, energy security, Just imagine you can no longer buy gasoline and the fare is very high. Don't you think, this will affect the economic life of the nation? That is a threat to national security, the food security, energy security, the air that you breath, water security," said Carlos.

"It is very wrong that we copy the concept of America that (the) perspective of national security is all about military, but national security is human security, the threat in the life of an individual. i'm sure right now the contested South China Sea is far from your mind. Quad (rilateral security dialogue), too far away from your existence from day to day. The notion of national security is human security," she added. Robina Asido/DMS