Stratbase warns of Chinese coordinated cyber threats versus the Philippines

The Philippines is no longer confronting pressure solely in the West Philippine Sea, but is also facing a coordinated and sustained offensive in cyberspace, the Stratbase Institute said.

Stratbase Institute president Victor Andres Manhit issued the warning during a cybersecurity conference held on Thursday and Friday, describing the situation as an “unseen war” involving information dominance, psychological operations, and digital manipulation.

Organized by the Embassy of Canada, the forum brought together senior government officials and diplomats to discuss hybrid threats linked to geopolitical tensions.

Manhit said modern conflicts are increasingly measured not by hardware, but by control of the narrative space, the distortion of public perception, and the erosion of institutional trust.

He referenced Beijing’s “three warfares” doctrine, which includes psychological, legal, and public opinion warfare, saying elements of this strategy are visible in activities affecting Philippine interests.

Manhit said the Philippines is seeing what he described as coordinated amplification of pro-China narratives and influence operations intended to shape public discourse.

The think tank also raised concerns about potential election interference ahead of the 2028 polls, citing the role of digital ecosystems and online information flows.

Data from a Stratbase-commissioned Pulse Asia survey showed that seven in 10 Filipinos expressed concern about misinformation, which analysts identified as a significant vulnerability.

“What begins as ‘fake news’ rarely stays online,” Manhit said. “It migrates into community discourse, policy debates, and eventually national decision-making.”

Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda echoed the warning, saying that public trust remains a critical factor in national cybersecurity.

Aguda called for stronger incident response mechanisms, closer interagency coordination, and broader cyber awareness efforts.