The proposed Konektadong Pinoy Bill, if enacted in its current form, could open the Philippines to foreign surveillance, digital exploitation, and algorithmic manipulation, threatening the country's national sovereignty, according to Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres "Dindo" Manhit.

While the bill aims to expand digital access and connectivity nationwide, Manhit cautioned that without embedded cybersecurity and data privacy safeguards, it could serve as a gateway for malicious foreign influence, particularly from actors aligned with pro-China narratives.

"The Konektadong Pinoy Bill, in its current form, lacks the critical safeguards to ensure that connectivity does not come at the expense of national security," Manhit said. "We cannot trade convenience for control. Without robust digital protections, we are risking mass exposure to surveillance, manipulation, and foreign interference."

Speaking at the 4th Civil-Military Operations forum organized by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Manhit delivered a presentation titled "Democracies in the Age of Disinformation and Misinformation."

He underscored how digital infrastructure, when poorly protected, becomes a double-edged sword, explaining that cyber threats today extend far beyond mere data breaches or technical glitches, now serving as tools of modern warfare.

"Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical concern; it is a fundamental pillar of our national security," Manhit stated, adding that "unchecked digital manipulation, algorithm-driven deception, and cyber intrusions are now instruments of geopolitical aggression – and we must treat them as such."

The forum, themed "5th Generation Warfare: A War of Information and Perception: Securing Minds, Societies, and Sovereignty," discussed the evolving landscape of hybrid threats where information, and its manipulation, becomes both battlefield and weapon.

Manhit asserted that the Philippines is increasingly vulnerable to what he called a "shadow war" fought in cyberspace. He cited evidence of coordinated disinformation networks, digital influence operations, and foreign-funded propaganda efforts, particularly active during recent electoral cycles, aimed at distorting national discourse, sowing distrust, and weakening democratic institutions.

"Our digital vulnerabilities are being exploited to undermine advocacies in the West Philippine Sea and silence defenders of democracy," Manhit said, referencing previous Stratbase reports on pro-China information operations.

He reiterated that the Konektadong Pinoy Bill must not be passed hastily. "A bill this far-reaching should not be blind to the geopolitical context in which we operate. If it lacks cybersecurity protocols and user data protection, it becomes a Trojan horse for adversarial state actors."

Manhit urged Congress to overhaul the bill's framework and mandate stringent cybersecurity standards, transparency measures, and accountability mechanisms. "Connecting citizens must not mean exposing them to surveillance. Anything less is a threat to our sovereignty," he said.

To counter these risks, Manhit also recommended adopting a whole-of-society approach, which includes fact-based counter-disinformation campaigns, evidence-driven public communication strategies, grassroots digital literacy programs, regular cybersecurity audits and red teaming and strategic partnerships with trusted democratic allies.