Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Young people use social media apps on their mobile phones and computers as they attend  the forum, Keeping the Flame of Freedom Alive: Case Study of Percy Lapid Mabasa, at the CMC Auditorium Plaridel Hall UP Diliman Quezon City on October 3, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday warned that foreign malign influence (FMI) operations in the Philippines are increasingly moving to “street level” as foreign actors now use local issues and the Filipino language in their propaganda.According to AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad (Reserve), there has been a shift in the approach of foreign malign influence operations since the first quarter of 2026.“What used to be clearly identifiable as pro-Davao, pro-West Philippine Sea issues, today, the formalized influence approach ay sumasawsaw na sa (getting involved in) local issues—issues like the impeachment trial, flood control, anti-BBM [Marcos narratives], Sanjia steel raid, demonizing the SND [Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.],” Trinidad told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.The official said this new approach makes foreign malign influence more difficult to detect.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/29/prosecution-warns-public-vs-fake-news-foreign-influence-in-sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-1954">Prosecution warns vs fake news, foreign influence in Sara Duterte impeachment trial </a></div>Trinidad also noted a shift in the language being used in these influence efforts, from previously being mostly in English to increasingly being delivered in Filipino.He alleged there has been a &quot;delineation of tasks&quot; between Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng, who, he said, uses a diplomatic tone and the attacks on Filipino officials.&quot;Tagalog na (Those are in Tagalog already),&quot; he said, referring to the language that Filipino is largely based on. He added that foreign actors are adjusting their approach to make their narratives more acceptable to Filipinos and harder for authorities to detect.Trinidad urged Filipinos to exercise greater caution when consuming and sharing information online.&quot;The public [must] be very, very careful in accepting what they see online,&quot; he said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday warned that foreign malign influence (FMI) operations in the Philippines are increasingly moving to “street level” as foreign actors now use local issues and the Filipino language in their propaganda.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday warned that foreign malign influence (FMI) operations in the Philippines are increasingly moving to “street level” as foreign actors now use local issues and the Filipino language in their propaganda.

AFP warns of ‘street level’ foreign malign influence as attacks shift to local issues

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AFP warns of ‘street level’ foreign malign influence as attacks shift to local issues

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 01, 2026 03:59 PM PHT

Read More:

Influence operations

Foreign Malign Influence

Disinformation

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