President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with strengthening the country's cybersecurity.
According to AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., President Marcos underscored the cybersecurity threat and instructed the AFP to safeguard not just the military’s cyber command but also the nation’s broader cybersecurity landscape.
“This is becoming a bigger threat to our country so dahil medyo pinapalakas natin ang ating cyber security, he asked the AFP to also look into protecting not just the AFP, but the entire country," said Brawner.
In a report by RH Edniel Parrosa, it was stated that this issue involves the alleged infiltration of malign Chinese influence into the country.
Gen. Brawner previously mentioned in an interview with DZRH that this includes the threat posed by illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and the issue of espionage, or the spying activities of foreign rivals.
In a Senate hearing in November, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) confirmed that China’s espionage activities in the Philippines have been extensive.
It was revealed that the agency had been monitoring Chinese hackers, known as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups, whose targets include not only the government but also the private sector.
Moreover, NICA reportedly monitored malign influence and foreign interference activities within POGO hubs and gambling sites in the country.
