AFP Spox Cascades ComPlan MULAT, Links National Security and Digital Defense at Cybersecurity Summit

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla took the stage to highlight the growing intersection of cybersecurity and national defense at the 6th Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Professionals’ Summit held at the Golden Phoenix Hotel in Manila last March 27, 2025.

She introduced the AFP’s “ComPlan MULAT,” the military’s flagship communication strategy aimed at addressing disinformation and external threats in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The initiative, launched last June 28, 2024, is central to the AFP’s efforts to counteract foreign influence and assert the Philippines’ sovereign rights through strategic public messaging.

She said that “Mulat,” meaning “awakened,” is designed to inform and engage both the Filipino public and the international community on the realities surrounding the WPS. 

Colonel Padilla outlined its core objectives: to generate broad public support for the Philippines’ maritime stance, encourage civic participation in government-led initiatives, neutralize false narratives propagated by the People’s Republic of China, foster national unity, and secure stakeholder engagement across all levels of society.She characterized ComPlan MULAT as a strategic communications method that combines information sharing, public involvement, and countering misinformation to bolster the country’s stance.  

Col Padilla also highlighted that safeguarding the digital landscape today goes beyond merely securing infrastructure—it necessitates the protection of truth and the shared identity of the Filipino people.

While the summit broadly tackled emerging cybersecurity threats and evolving data privacy regulations, her presentation stood out as a compelling reminder that national defense in the digital age must also confront information warfare.

“ComPlan MULAT is our way of asserting truth in the face of aggression, and of defending not just territory, but identity and integrity,” she concluded.

#WPSAtinIto
#OurSeasOurRightsOurFuture
#AlaminIpaglabanSuportahan
#OneAFPOnePhilippines
#StrongAFPStrongPhilippines