Choose leaders who are strong on security

Candidates should no longer underestimate the Filipino voter. They must go beyond the usual motherhood statements and focus on issues that strike deep at the core of being Filipino — specifically, the protection of our own sphere against the maneuvering of another country, one that seeks to dominate and intimidate. In the latest Social Weather Stations survey held Feb. 15-19, eight out of 10 Filipinos said they prefer candidates in the 2025 elections who believe in asserting the Philippines’ rights against China’s aggression in the West Philippines Sea.

Results from the survey show that 78% of Filipinos prefer “a candidate who believes that the Philippines must assert our rights against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea,” while only 22% prefer “a candidate who does not believe that the Philippines must assert our rights against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea.”

Indeed, more Filipinos are becoming aware that defense and security have come to be urgent issues, and that we need candidates who must champion the Philippines’ assertion of its sovereignty against anybody who threatens it.

DEFENSE OF TECHNOLOGYThese days, security can refer to two things. Traditional security pertains to the protection of our territory, maritime domain, and airspace. Here, China has unabashedly shown its intentions, and we must respond firmly and in accordance with international law.

But defense, too, can mean a fight against an unseen enemy.

Economic development and global competitiveness are no longer possible without technological advancement. To survive and thrive in the modern economy, digital readiness is necessary, and countries that are not able to keep up will certainly get left behind and miss out on opportunities.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry in November 2024, the Philippines has become the fastest-growing digital economy in Southeast Asia, surging from $26 billion to $31 billion in 2024. This tells us that consumers in the Philippines have a growing preference for online transactions. This also indicates a vast potential to be a major player in the global digital economy.

But there is a tradeoff, and it carries with it great risk.

People have come to rely on technology even for basic necessities like transportation systems, energy, water, and telecommunications. And some malign elements are just waiting to exploit this reliance for their own aims. They only need to know where our individual and collective vulnerabilities lie.

Critical infrastructure is always a prime target. Because of the scale of its reach, it affects both national security and economic stability. Once our critical infrastructure is attacked, we will see major disruptions in our way of life as we know it. Disruption could easily lead to chaos.

Last year alone, there were approximately 5.4 million malicious attempts against 32 government agencies that are connected to national security operations, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). In a separate report, the department said these cyber-attackers frequently target critical infrastructure, with the most affected sectors being government and emergency services (42%), the academe (22%), the telecommunications sector (19%), and others.

Businesses, too, are exposed to the risks. Studies by telcos found that one in four firms faces cyber-attacks, including malware and phishing with an alarming 200,000 attacks daily, specifically targeting the telecommunications industry and its critical infrastructure.

These threats are evolving and growing by the day, not only in number and reach, but more so in terms of sophistication. The DICT and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) reported that cyber criminals employ unauthorized use of International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers to compromise the privacy and security of mobile devices and their users. This tactic is often used for financial scamming, which affects both consumers and businesses in the country.

From a larger viewpoint, cybersecurity has also figured as part of gray zone operations. These include digital propaganda, disinformation and misinformation campaigns, and malign influence, aiming to erode public trust and destabilize democratic processes such as local elections.

Some 86.75 million social media users, who are exposed to various forms of misleading narratives and disinformation campaigns, are at risk. They must know how to protect themselves.

ENEMIES WITHOUT A FACEThis threat is equally dangerous because of its stealthy nature — the enemies and attackers do not have a face, and yet they know our vulnerabilities too well and can strike us where we are weakest.

So, while we focus on defending our maritime domain, we should treat cybersecurity as a priority area that is essential to our national security. Stakeholders — the government, the private sector, telecommunication companies, and civil society — must collaborate to address multifaceted challenges in the digital sphere. We will help do exactly this as the Stratbase Institute, in collaboration with the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, is organizing a two-day conference entitled, “Forging Collaborative Cyber Resilience: Protecting Critical Infrastructure and Democratic Institutions.” The event will enable us to assess the cyber landscape, discuss problems, and explore solutions with various stakeholders.

Finally, we should also invest in strengthening people’s digital literacy and critical thinking. These are vital as they navigate a complex, technology-driven world, and also as they choose the next set of leaders who could enact and implement the right laws and policies for the good of our nation.

Victor Andres “Dindo” C. Manhit is the president of the Stratbase ADR Institute.