International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC)

Chester Cabalza, president of the Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC), said the investigations showed sleeper agents “have faces, which tell us to even be more wary of hybrid warfare in a hyperconnected world”. “Cyber warriors look like any ordinary people with an extraordinary mission to gather information, scan and send data, and plot future scenarios to weaken our institutions,” Cabalza, a professor of International Security at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) said, adding that the incident would deepen Manila’s doubts about Beijing’s sincerity in establishing a credible BCM. Analysts believe such espionage cases will continue alongside other China-led cyber and disinformation acts. As such, Cabalza called for a robust national ID system in the Philippines to counter such activities. Last year, over 1,000 Chinese nationals were found to have acquired fraudulent identity documents in the Philippines, such as birth certificates and national IDs. “The government should hasten a flawless system and legal remedy to include cyber espionage, severely punishable under our domestic laws,” Cabalza said. https://lnkd.in/gj8NwHXB

Chester Cabalza, founding president of the International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC) think tank and professor of international security at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), agreed a joint civic action team between the Philippijes and US “will only escalate the worsening strategic condition in the WPS [West Philippine Sea]”. Cabalza, however, said it could be feasible for the Trump administration to enter into gas exploration and suggested a “trilateral” scheme that would include Manila, Beijing and Washington “to de-escalate the tension”.

THE CHINESE Embassy in Manila on Thursday dispelled allegations of state-sponsored hacking against the Philippines’ Executive branch, calling it groundless. Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John E. Uy on Tuesday said “no current information has been compromised” from recent hacking attempts since the agency had detected them early on and secured the system. Meanwhile, security analysts said the government of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should beef up its cyber-infrastructure and train more experts as it remains vulnerable to cyberattacks amid geopolitical tensions with China. “The cyberattacks in Taiwan are real and expected given its proximity and current strategic bullseye with Beijing,” Chester B. Cabalza, founding president of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC), said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “The Philippines is no exception since we have a strategic problem with China in the West Philippine Sea.” On Monday, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau said Chinese cyberattacks against its state agencies averaged 2.4 million attacks daily in 2024. Mr. Cabalza said the Philippines lacks investments in infrastructure, curriculum and specialists to guard its cyberspace against external threats. “Manila is still lacking in building its cyber-infrastructure, innovative hardware and software, but it has a large pool of talented cyber-specialists.” Cabalza, a professor of international security at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) also cited the need to invest more in cyber-curricula and training. https://lnkd.in/gVcTNAd6

The Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act aim to strengthen the Philippines’ territorial claims, particularly in the South China Sea, while bolstering Manila’s economic and environmental stewardship of its waters. The legislation underscores the country’s commitment to international law and a rules-based maritime order, analysts and officials said. The laws could facilitate “robust regional trade and military operations without hampering the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the host country,” Chester Cabalza, president of the Manila-based International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC) think tank, told FORUM. Educating coastal communities about their rights also is vital for countering foreign encroachment and illegal activities, Cabalza said. He said other member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should follow the Philippines’ lead by defining their boundaries to promote a rules-based order under UNCLOS. “The international community and neighboring states that have overlapping claims with the Philippines must also adhere to this enacted maritime law to maintain a rules-based order to deter illegal fishing, foreign military presence and potential blockages,” Cabalza said. Link - https://lnkd.in/dTnqcQUc

Chester Cabalza, president of Manila’s International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC) think tank, said the deployment was much about showcasing China’s marine engineering prowess as it was about intimidating the Philippines. “It’s a megalomaniac act from Beijing…[to] innovate giant and monster ships for the world to praise them in awe,” Cabalza said. Experts interpreted the deployment of the Chinese vessel as a calculated show of force rather than an overtly aggressive act.

Asked as to why the alleged Chinese drone was in Masbate, Chester Cabalza, president of the Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC), said Masbate is the midsection of the archipelagic Philippines and it’s strategic value is primordial because it is seen as a crossroad between Visayas and Luzon where the Benham Rise and West Philippine Sea are located. The Benham rise is a resource-rich shelf on the Philippines’ east coast that is part of its exclusive economic zone. “With its marine bounty and natural resources deemed as the pot of gold in the country with rich minerals like manganese, copper, silver, iron, chromite, limestone, guano, and carbon – China has found a new paradise to widen its strategic bulls eye in the Philippines,” Cabalza said. The HY-119 submarine voyage, according to Cabalza, has a military and political message to the Philippines. He said Beijing does a quiet encirclement underwater in a sophisticated and clever reconnaissance as it cements its grand strategy in our archipelagic country. “It is also alarming that they are navigating in our internal waters after the enactment of the twin laws on maritime zones and archipelagic sea lanes. This naval camouflage is another wake up call to the Philippines to venture in acquiring subs for deterrence and modernization of our naval fleet,” Cabalza said. https://lnkd.in/g_AyY_cZ

“The Chinese feared Filipino military strategy that by grounding another naval asset in Sabina Shoal would be a defeat on their side which happened in Ayungin Shoal,” security expert Chester Cabalza told INQUIRER.net. Cabalza, president and founder of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC), also remarked that Escoda Shoal is the “missing link in the Chinese occupancy” of the West Philippine Sea. “If they succeed in their conquest, they can control Ayungin Shoal and Reed Bank just like what they did in Bajo de Masinloc,” Cabalza said, referring to another local term for Panatag Shoal. Cabalza said due to its strategic importance to China, Escoda Shoal will remain a hotspot of tension in the West Philippine Sea for years to come. This tension, he stressed, is expected to further intensify in light of a Donald Trump presidency with his hawkish Cabinet picks signaling the emergence of hardline anti-China policies. “Sabina Shoal has been marked down now as a hotspot,” Cabalza said. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzFrmGXm Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

“The Chinese feared Filipino military strategy that by grounding another naval asset in Sabina Shoal would be a defeat on their side which happened in Ayungin Shoal,” security expert Chester Cabalza told INQUIRER.net. Cabalza, president and founder of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, also remarked that Escoda Shoal is the “missing link in the Chinese occupancy” of the West Philippine Sea. “If they succeed in their conquest, they can control Ayungin Shoal and Reed Bank just like what they did in Bajo de Masinloc,” Cabalza said, referring to another local term for Panatag Shoal. Cabalza said due to its strategic importance to China, Escoda Shoal will remain a hotspot of tension in the West Philippine Sea for years to come. This tension, he stressed, is expected to further intensify in light of a Donald Trump presidency with his hawkish Cabinet picks signaling the emergence of hardline anti-China policies. “Sabina Shoal has been marked down now as a hotspot,” Cabalza said.

Chester Cabalza, president of the Manila-based International Development and Security Cooperation think tank, argued that the sudden drop in Chinese enrolment followed revelations that some may have conducted intelligence gathering in strategic provinces. Still, he doubted the effect on local higher education would be significant, as foreign students would choose the Philippines for the "affordability and quality" of the country's educational institutions. Cabalza said he believed the tightening of student visas was "understandable and forgiving" as long as it did not discriminate against properly documented Chinese students. Beijing was also unlikely to retaliate by making life harder for Filipinos wishing to study in China, he added. "It's more stringent for them to study in China since most of the lingua franca is Mandarin Chinese," he said. "I think this will do more harm on the Chinese side than the Philippine side on the level of bilateral relations, since many Filipinos still want to avail of a diploma from well-known Western universities than in China." https://lnkd.in/gU4QQ7w3