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National Security Discourse Shifts to "Political War" Amid West Philippine Sea Developments

Article by J. Salazar

Published on May 21, 2026 1:00PM


MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the country should recognize that it is already in a “political war” with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), even if the conflict has not yet escalated into open kinetic hostilities. AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner, through his acting Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Arvin Lagamon, made the remark during a forum on AFP modernization organized by the Stratbase A. Romulo Institute and the Konrad‑Adenauer‑Stiftung. ¹

Lagamon, speaking on behalf of Brawner, stated, “We are already at war. Not yet a kinetic war, but the political war, the economic war, and more importantly, the cyber and informational war are already going on.” The comments were relayed in a statement released by Stratbase on Monday and underscore the military’s view that the contest with China now plays out across multiple non‑military domains as much as on the water. ¹


He described the situation in the WPS as one of “daily illegal, coercive, aggressive, deceptive, destructive, and bullying” actions by China, including the use of maritime militia vessels, gray‑zone tactics, and sustained pressure on Philippine fishermen and coast‑guard personnel. ¹ ² Lagamon added that the Philippines is still on the defensive against China’s “use of sharp power” through United Front‑style operations and malign information campaigns aimed at influencing public opinion and foreign‑policy elites. ¹

Meanwhile, West Philippine Sea Spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Trinidad emphasized that the “modern battlefield is the mindset of the Filipino people.” ¹ He argued that safeguarding the “cognitive domain” of the public has become as critical as controlling physical territory, especially in an era of deepfakes, micro‑targeted disinformation, and coordinated cyber‑influence operations. ¹ ³


Trinidad warned that “filtering, sifting through the information being put out is critical to the perception of the Filipino people,” highlighting the risk that misinformation and narrative manipulation could distort public understanding of the WPS issue. ¹ He went further, cautioning that “for all we know, we might be electing somebody by 2028 because of the manipulation of the perception of the public,” underscoring national‑security concerns about how foreign‑influence operations could shape domestic politics. ¹

Stratbase President Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit likewise pointed out that “every day, efforts to undermine and discredit the ruling persist,” referring to the landmark 2016 arbitral award that invalidated China’s expansive “nine‑dash line” claims in the South China Sea. ¹ ² He noted that these efforts often take the form of coordinated media‑driven narratives, lawfare‑style legal arguments, and campaigns to cast doubt on the legitimacy or viability of the Philippines’ legal‑diplomatic strategy. ¹ ⁴


Analysts say such statements by senior military and research‑institute figures signal a growing recognition that the AFP and the Philippine state must now balance traditional force modernization with robust information‑security, cyber‑defense, and public‑awareness programs. ¹ ⁵ As tensions in the WPS persist, the framing of the dispute as an ongoing “political war” suggests that the next phase of the contest may be fought just as much in newsrooms, social‑media feeds, and classrooms as on the high seas. ¹ ²

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Notes:


³ HOW DO SOUTHEAST ASIANS VIEW ASEAN DIALOGUE ... https://www.instagram.com/p/DWxc6nVmF0h/

⁵ ASEAN Perception Survey https://www.aseanperceptionssurvey.com

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