Teodoro warns of growing 'foreign malign influence' in PH

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday warned of the growing threat of “foreign malign influence” in the Philippines, saying it is blurring the line between internal security and external defense and posing risks to the country’s sovereignty.

Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Teodoro said the country’s security environment has evolved, with foreign threats no longer confined to external concerns such as the West Philippine Sea but increasingly extending to domestic affairs.

“If you don’t have internal peace and stability—that is a precondition,” Teodoro said.

According to Teodoro, internal security can no longer be viewed separately from external defense because of the growing convergence of traditional and non-traditional threats.

“Ngayon may fusion o paghahalo ng dalawa. ’Yan ang tinatawag na foreign malign influence,” he said.

(Now there is a fusion or mixing of the two. That is what we call foreign malign influence.)

The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) defines FMI as covert, coercive, subversive or illegal efforts by a foreign government or its proxies to influence another country’s policies, institutions, public opinion or behavior in ways that advance the foreign actor’s interests.

FMI can include things such as spreading disinformation, secretly funding or influencing political groups or public figures, manipulating public opinion through social media, conducting espionage, interfering in elections or policymaking, or using businesses and other organizations as fronts.

Teodoro cited alleged illegal activities linked to foreign entities, saying these go beyond maritime disputes and could undermine national security.

Expanding AFP presence

To address these threats, Teodoro said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is expanding its presence across the archipelago through strategic basing and improved logistics.

“Kailangan natin tayo ay magkaroon ng presence sa 7,600-plus isla,” he said.

(We need to establish a presence across the country’s more than 7,600 islands.)

He said the government’s strategic basing program aims to improve military mobility and logistics, as well as the AFP’s ability to respond quickly to threats, particularly in maritime areas.

According to Teodoro, a sustained military presence would also help deter groups seeking to sow instability.

Military reservations

Teodoro also defended the preservation of military reservations, saying these should remain dedicated to national defense.

He said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had ordered a review of land conversions involving military reservations, noting that some projects had failed to benefit their intended beneficiaries.

“The reservations were chosen because they have a purpose that cannot simply be transferred elsewhere,” Teodoro said.

He said the Department of National Defense also opposes proposals to extend certain arrangements involving military reservations and allow the sale of military lands, stressing that some areas remain essential to the operations of both the AFP and the Philippine National Police.

“The order is to protect the national territory and sovereignty,” Teodoro said, adding that national security should remain the government’s foremost consideration. — MCG, GMA News