Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said authorities are monitoring possible foreign malign influence in the country’s political, business, and security environment, even as he maintained that the current situation remains secure from a defense and military standpoint.
Asked whether the country’s current political situation was discussed during the command conference with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Teodoro said it was not taken up.
“Hindi napag-usapan at all,” Teodoro said.
But asked whether recent political developments may involve China’s United Front work, Teodoro said all possibilities involving foreign interference are being examined.
“Sa ngayon, sabihin natin lahat ng posibilidad iniimbestigahan natin. Basta foreign malign influence,” Teodoro said.
He said foreign malign influence in partisan politics would be a serious matter, adding that authorities are also watching other areas where foreign interference may operate.
“Pagka may foreign malign influence na sa anumang bagay dito, ibang usapan na ’yon. Kaya aming inaalam at minomonitor lahat ito,” Teodoro said.
He said monitoring is not limited to politics but also includes the business environment, land acquisition, and other activities.
“Hindi lang naman dito sa political developments kung hindi sa business environment, sa pagbibili ng lupa at mga iba-iba pa kasi parang pugita ito, maraming tentacles, o parang dikya ito,” he said.
Asked for his assessment of the country’s security climate, Teodoro said the Philippines remains secure from a defense perspective, although national security challenges remain because of political and social noise.
“On a defense perspective, it is very secured. On national security, because of noise, of course there are challenges. We cannot deny that because of other factors. But in a defense and military matter, it is secure,” he said.
Teodoro said President Marcos’ directive during the command conference was to preserve the gains made by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and maintain peace.
He said the President also raised the upcoming Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao elections, stressing the need to keep the process peaceful.
According to Teodoro, Marcos noted that among the 22 peace processes mentioned to him by the United Nations Secretary-General, the BARMM peace process remains one of the few that continues to hold with relative peace.
Teodoro said the AFP has a critical role in deterring violence and stopping any group that may attempt to disrupt the process.
“Ang role ng AFP dyan ay critical upang mag-deter ng violence at kung sino man ang gustong mag-disrupt ng process,” he said.
He added that the President also raised concern over United Front work, which the AFP will closely watch.
Asked whether the Taiwan issue was discussed, Teodoro said it was not.
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., meanwhile, denied that the command conference was a loyalty check amid the heated political environment.
“Hindi po ito parte ng loyalty check. This is a regular occurrence,” Brawner said.
He said the AFP holds command conferences twice a year, one at mid-year and another toward the end of the year, to brief the President on military accomplishments and plans.
“So, hindi po loyalty check at hindi po kailangan ng loyalty check,” Brawner said.