The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has intensified their monitoring of social media platforms in the midst of political turmoil, warning that recent disinformation spread online may involve foreigners.
During a Stratbase cybersecurity forum in Makati City, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the source of false information may involve domestic and foreign elements.
“Is there a foreign influence in this? That could be a possibility. It could be a foreign entity inside the country, or foreign state actors. There are different vectors of attack when we do cyber investigations,” Padilla said.
He added that addressing cyber threats is not the task of the AFP alone. The AFP is collaborating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Coordination Center (CICC), as well as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Padilla said malicious information has become rampant recently, indicating the challenges posed by widespread social media use.
Padilla explained their cyber investigations are looking into the intent behind content, including misinformation and disinformation.
“You may have no intent to spread false information, but you share it knowingly that it is wrong. The same is true with the other two… This is what we monitor in terms of cyber operations,” she added.
Meanwhile, cybersecurity chief MGen. Cornelio Valencia Jr. (Ret.) of the National Security Council (NSC) said destabilization rumors appear largely politically motivated but have not reached a level to threaten national security.
“We know it is more of a political interest. We have seen things are improving… The escalation they were expecting wasn’t there. The rallies have been peaceful,” Valencia said.
He noted cyber threats remain persistent, but attribution—whether criminal groups or state-sponsored actors—is difficult.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the agency is tracking fake news and deepfakes while safeguarding the freedom of expression.
“If it’s patent, deepfake, or fake news, we coordinate with the platform. We don’t take it down ourselves… We say to the platform… that’s a violation of your community standards,” Aguda said.
He added that DICT monitors social media traffic around major events, flagging harmful content for platforms to take down.
“Leading to the weekend rallies, we monitored a lot of discussions, conversations… Nothing unusual in the context of our current environment,” he said.
Aguda stressed the broader digital resilience challenge, citing the Philippines’ declining digital economy and vulnerability to cyber threats.
“Digital disruption is not a theory. It is a survival issue, hand in hand with cybersecurity,” he said.
He also urged for accelerated infrastructure deployment, digital adoption and stronger governance.