Brawner: PH already facing ‘political’ and info war amid WPS tensions

MANILA, Philippines — Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. warned Thursday that Filipinos should adopt a wartime mindset amid what he described as ongoing political, economic and information warfare linked to tensions in the West Philippine Sea and broader security threats facing the country.

In a speech delivered by Lt. Gen. Arvin Lagamon, commander of the Civil-Military Operations Command, Brawner said the Philippines was already confronting “political war,” “economic war,” and “informational war,” even if no kinetic conflict had broken out.

“Not yet a kinetic war, but a political war, an economic war, and more importantly, disinformation and informational war is already going on,” the military chief said in a speech delivered during a forum organized by Stratbase Institute in Makati City.

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Brawner linked the warning to continued tensions in the West Philippine Sea, where he said the Philippines faces “illegal, coercive, aggressive, deceptive, destructive, and bullying” actions, as well as influence and disinformation operations.

The AFP chief said modern threats now cut across maritime, air, land, cyber and information domains, allowing adversaries to challenge countries without openly declaring conflict.

“Gray zone operations test national resolve without openly declaring conflict. Cyber intrusions can disrupt critical infrastructure without a single shot being fired, and disinformation seeks to weaken trust from within,” the speech read.

Brawner said the AFP’s modernization program was aimed at building a credible deterrent force capable of responding across multiple domains, including cyber defense, intelligence, maritime security and strategic communications.

He said the military’s transformation was “no longer simply about acquiring platforms” but about developing an integrated defense system that can operate as a unified force.

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The military chief also emphasized the growing role of cybersecurity and emerging technologies such as drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems in modern warfare.

“The growing role of drones in contemporary warfare demonstrates how relatively affordable technologies can significantly alter the battlefield,” he said.

‘Self-reliance’

Brawner also pushed for stronger local defense industries and self-reliance.

He said deterrence depended not only on foreign acquisitions but also on the country’s ability to sustain and develop its own capabilities.

At the same time, he underscored the importance of alliances and partnerships in preserving stability in the Indo-Pacific and upholding international law.

His remarks came as the Philippines approaches the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

Brawner said the military’s modernization efforts were ultimately intended to preserve peace and prevent conflict through deterrence.

“Credible deterrence is not built overnight,” he said. “It is built steadily through vision, investment, discipline, innovation, partnership, and more importantly, national unity and social cohesion.” /cb