Manila - The Philippine military's intelligence chief warned Friday that spiraling food and fuel prices could threaten national security as he accused anti-government groups of exploiting the issue.

Brigadier General Romeo Prestoza said the military's intelligence unit has been monitoring food and energy security in the country in a bid to prevent attempts to cause disturbances.

"Anything that can pose a threat to national security is part of our mandate," he said.

Prestoza charged anti-government groups affiliated with communist rebels with taking advantage of the high prices to attack the administration.

"The leftist groups are continuously exploiting the issue," he said. "They are projecting that the problem is bigger than it is."

Prestoza admitted that soaring food and fuel prices could cause unrest because of their impact on all people.

"The price increase has a huge effect on everyone, and this is happening all over the world," he said. "Almost all sectors are affected, and there are riots in some countries."

"We are looking into whether we are headed for that kind of situation," he added.

But Prestoza said he was confident that riots would only happen in "extreme" cases in the Philippines.

"As I see it, food riots are unlikely," he said. "In our rounds in the provinces, we saw that if you are determined, you won't go hungry in this country." (dpa)