Geline Salac

Philippines 'inevitably' involved if Taiwan invaded: AFP chief

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<p>MANILA - The Philippines&#x27; military chief said Tuesday his country would &quot;inevitably&quot; be involved if neighboring Taiwan was invaded while warning China was working to infiltrate the Filipino military and other institutions.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/1/china-holds-large-scale-military-drills-around-taiwan-1629">China holds large-scale military drills around Taiwan</a></div><p>General Romeo Brawner made the comments as Beijing&#x27;s military surrounded Taiwan in large-scale exercises it said was practice for a blockade of the self-ruled island which China has vowed to one day bring under its control.</p><p>&quot;Start planning for actions in case there is an invasion of Taiwan,&quot; he told troops in northern Luzon island.</p><p>&quot;Because if something happens to Taiwan, inevitably we will be involved,&quot; Brawner said without naming the potential invader.</p><p>&quot;As members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, we should have that mentality that we are already at war.&quot;</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T8NUdQNyG-0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Part of his soldiers&#x27; job would be &quot;to rescue&quot; a quarter million Filipinos working in Taiwan, Brawner said without detailing how the military would execute that mission.</p><p>The northern Philippines will play host to large-scale joint exercises with ally the United States scheduled to begin April 21, Brawner told troops at Northern Luzon Command headquarters.</p><p>&quot;These are the areas where we perceive the possibility of an attack. I do not want to sound alarmist, but we have to prepare,&quot; he added.</p><p>Manila, which has a mutual defense pact with Washington, has been engaged in months of confrontations with Beijing over disputed areas of the South China Sea.</p><p>Beijing claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.</p><p>US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Manila last week and said that &quot;friends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter conflict to ensure that there&#x27;s free navigation&quot; in the South China Sea.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/28/us-philippines-must-stand-shoulder-to-shoulder-in-face-of-china-threat-hegseth-1036">US, Philippines must stand &#x27;shoulder to shoulder&#x27; in face of China threat: Hegseth</a></div><p>At this month&#x27;s Balikatan exercises, US and Philippine troops will conduct a &quot;full battle test&quot; of &quot;all of the plans, all of the doctrines, all of the procedures that we have developed in the past years&quot;, Brawner said.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s very important that we prepare for any eventuality,&quot; he added.</p><p>Brawner alleged that &quot;communist China is already conducting united front works in our country&quot;.</p><p>&quot;They are already infiltrating our institutions, our schools, our businesses, our churches, even our ranks in the military,&quot; he said without giving details.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dTByk8tuNHw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>He said the Philippines was also experiencing &quot;cyber warfare, information warfare, cognitive warfare, political warfare&quot;.</p><p>The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p><p>The Philippines has in recent weeks made a series of arrests of Chinese suspects accused of conducting surveillance on military camps and Filipino naval and coast guard ships.</p><p>cgm/cwl/sco</p><p>© Agence France-Presse</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jUETBlQ5ih0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Philippines' military chief said Tuesday his country would "inevitably" be involved if neighboring Taiwan was invaded while warning China was working to infiltrate the Filipino military and other institutions.</p>

The Philippines' military chief said Tuesday his country would "inevitably" be involved if neighboring Taiwan was invaded while warning China was working to infiltrate the Filipino military and other institutions.