The Philippines is facing a coordinated and continuous cyberattack from China, indicating a shift in geopolitical tensions from the West Philippine Sea to the digital space. These influence operations aim to shape public opinion, manipulate discourse, and weaken institutional trust, according to a Philippines-based research institute. According to Victor Andres Manhit, president of the Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute for Strategic Studies, the country is waging what he calls a "covert war" that is being waged through information dominance, psychological operations, and digital manipulation, rather than traditional military force.
