NSC: Corruption magnifies PH vulnerability to crisis
The National Security Council (NSC) on Wednesday warned that corruption and policy uncertainty are weakening the Philippines’ ability to withstand external shocks, describing them as internal vulnerabilities that magnify various threats from climate disasters to cyberattacks and geopolitical conflicts.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Oban Jr., former military chief in 2011, said the country faces “converging disruptions” that interact and intensify one another, placing pressure on critical institutions, infrastructure and public trust.
“The Philippines also faces internal vulnerabilities that function as force multipliers for external shocks,” Oban said in his speech during the Management Association of the Philippines’ general membership meeting in Taguig City. “These include corruption which threatens institutions.”
He also cited policy uncertainty, saying it “raises risks, shortens planning horizons and deters private capital from supporting longer security needs.”
Invisible infrastructure
Oban framed corruption not only as a governance issue but also as a national security concern, warning that weakened institutions and eroding public trust reduce the country’s capacity to respond during crises.
“Trust is the invisible infrastructure of stability,” he said. “The erosion of trust weakens collective capacity, and in crisis it becomes a strategic obstacle.”
According to Oban, the Philippines remains exposed to global disruptions because of its dependence on imported rice, coal-fired energy and internationally linked digital infrastructure such as undersea cables.
He said the effects of overseas conflicts, including tensions involving Iran and Israel, could quickly spill across borders through supply chains, energy markets and digital systems.
“From food and power to digital connectivity, critical systems rely on supply chains and infrastructures beyond our control,” Oban said.
He also warned of growing cybersecurity and disinformation threats, saying relatively small actors operating in cyberspace could cause disproportionate damage to critical infrastructure, while coordinated influence operations could undermine public trust without direct military confrontation.
“Disinformation and coordinated influence operations are now a standard instrument … to destabilize, divide and weaken adversaries without firing a single shot,” he said.
Oban called for stronger coordination between government and the private sector, including information-sharing, joint crisis response mechanisms and greater investment in critical infrastructure protection and supply-chain resilience.
