AFP warns vs. China-linked disinformation aiming to divide ranks

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) warned on Tuesday that disinformation networks, some linked to China, are spreading false narratives to erode public trust in the military and divide its ranks, including among retired personnel.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Philippine Navy’s spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the same “disinformation” and “malign influence” tactics previously used by the Chinese Communist Party to advance its illegal claims in the West Philippine Sea are now being deployed domestically to agitate members of the uniformed service.

“Recently, there was an attempt to agitate some of the members of our MUP [military and uniformed personnel] retirees to organize them and eventually mobilize them against the AFP,” Trinidad said.

He said the effort appears to be part of a coordinated attempt to discredit the institution and create internal unrest.

Meanwhile, AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla warned that the spread of false information has become a “top global risk” directly affecting national security.

“Misinformation and disinformation is a top global risk at this point and we have to address this,” she said during a press briefing.

“So ang pinag-promote po natin dito is lateral thinking. Kung ano po yung pananaw natin, tingnan din po natin ang pananaw ng iba.”

(What we are promoting is lateral thinking. Whatever our views are, we should also consider the perspectives of others.)

Padilla said that social media algorithms now shape user perception by repeatedly feeding content aligned with individual biases, limiting balanced understanding.

“So may ayon kasi ngayon, pina-pattern niya na tayo na kung ano po yung meeting niyo na yung gusto niyong binabasa, yun po yung pinifeed niya sa atin,” she said.

(Nowadays, these platforms are patterned to feed us only what aligns with our interests.)

She also addressed recent online rumors falsely claiming that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. planned to remove the AFP pension.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines wants to make this very clear that there is no truth to the circulation of false and misleading claims that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has threatened to remove the AFP pension,” Padilla said.

She warned that the rumor was part of “coordinated disinformation efforts” meant to “divide the ranks of our soldiers and retirees” and “weaken the institution from within.”

The warning comes amid a surge of false information targeting the military that has been observed on various social media platforms, including claims that the President had ordered the removal of military pensions.

Padilla urged the public, media, and military personnel to practice digital literacy and verify sources before sharing information online, stressing that the goal is to safeguard unity and national stability.

“Ang gusto lang naman po natin is mahinay po ang ating bayan towards development in general,” she said.

(What we want is for our nation to move forward calmly toward development.)

The AFP also said that it remains united and vigilant in countering foreign and domestic disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing the country and undermining trust in its institutions. —VAL/BM, GMA Integrated News