Public outrage over flood control mess exposes PHL to propaganda, says navy

PUBLIC OUTRAGE over largescale corruption in flood control projects could leave the Philippines vulnerable to foreignbacked propaganda seeking to provoke unrest and destabilize the country, a Philippine Navy official said on Tuesday.

- By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio Reporter

It remains unclear whether China is behind efforts to spread disinformation to agitate and stir up turmoil, but the Philippine military has observed propaganda waged by some groups encouraging retired officers to destabilize its ranks, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent T. Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesman for the South China Sea said.

He did not name those behind the campaign, saying he is awaiting "developments from the legal side."

"When you erode social cohesion ... as a group, you make it easier for foreign influence to come in," Mr. Trinidad told reporters on the sidelines of a media briefing at the Philippine military headquarters.