Philippines partners with allies vs 2025 election cyber threats

MANILA, Philippines — Amid rising cyber threats, including potential interference from China, the Philippines is strengthening its cybersecurity cooperation with Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Malaysia ahead of the May 2025 midterm elections.

During a two-day cybersecurity conference organized by the Stratbase Institute and the Canadian embassy, ambassadors gathered to address the need for international collaboration to safeguard democracy and election integrity.

Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman highlighted the importance of working with like-minded allies to build cyber-resilient systems and protect national sovereignty.

“There is tremendous potential for Canada and the Philippines, as well as other partners in the region, to collaborate on cybersecurity initiatives. Our countries can share best practices and lessons learned, work together on incident response, enhance capacity building and advocate together for responsible state behavior in cyberspace,” he said.

Hartman shared that, similar to the Philippines, Canada is also concerned with malicious cybersecurity threats, which attack their critical infrastructure, spread online disinformation campaigns and engage in malign influence operations.

He revealed that a Canadian public inquiry found that multiple foreign states engaged in malicious activities to undermine Canada’s sovereignty during their 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

“Foreign state actors are increasingly using the information space to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs and to undermine our sovereignty… Let me be blunt: Canada is clear-eyed about the threat that disinformation and online manipulation present, and we are very serious about responding to it,” Hartman said.

Meanwhile, Sami Khoury, Canada’s Senior Official for Cybersecurity, warned of the increasing risks posed by artificial intelligence to electoral processes and civic engagement.

He identified China as the most persistent cyber espionage threat, citing its advanced and widespread operations.

“Their cyber activities outpace those of other nations in volume, sophistication and the breadth of their targeting. They are well-resourced, persistent and capable of sustaining multiple campaigns simultaneously,” he said.

With the Philippine midterm elections approaching, concerns over disinformation and foreign interference are mounting.

In his speech during the conference, Stratbase Institute president Dindo Manhit warned that foreign actors use Filipinos to spread online propaganda, particularly on the West Philippine Sea, to influence public opinion and decision-making.

“The digital space, once a tool for democracy, is now weaponized. Pro-China narratives and propaganda infiltrate social media, distorting public opinion and undermining sovereignty – particularly on issues like the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Due to this, Manhit underscored the need for partnerships to strengthen the country’s cyber defenses through intelligence-sharing, technology transfers and training.

“It is through these that we will be able to fill any gaps in cyber defense. Leveraging the contributions and expertise of the government, private sector, civil society and like-minded partners is crucial amid today’s evolving cyber landscape,” he said.