NEWS RELEASE|| August 14, 2026-𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱: 𝗖𝗼𝗹. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗨𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀; 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲.

This was the key message delivered by Philippine Army Colonel Jo-Ar A. Herrera, MNSA (INF), during the Digital and Social Media Summit held at the Division Clubhouse, Camp Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City, on August 13, 2026.

Addressing goverment communicators, AFP content creators, and military personnel, Col. Herrera highlighted the growing impact of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation on national security, public trust, and social cohesion.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀: 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘃𝘀. 𝗖𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲

Col. Herrera emphasized that the military now confronts two distinct battlegrounds:

1. Kinetic Warfare: The physical battle involving military force and operations to destroy or degrade an enemy’s physical capability.

2. Non-Kinetic (Cognitive) Warfare: The information battle that influences human behavior, perception, and belief; shaping how citizens understand events, why they happen, and what they mean.

"You plan the physical fight with precision. The cognitive fight is planned by the enemy with the same precision," Col. Herrera stressed, pointing out that many military commanders traditionally focus only on the physical domain while adversaries actively exploit the digital sphere.

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁

Warning against foreign state-sponsored malign influence and cognitive warfare, Col. Herrera stated that false information campaigns target vulnerable sectors (including think tanks, academia, media, government leaders, and key social media influencers), to divide the nation and erode institutional trust.

He noted that malign influence operations rely on three primary methods:

* Media or Public Opinion Warfare

* Psychological Warfare

* Legal Warfare (Lawfare)

These strategies leverage modern technology, cyber operations, social engineering, and gray zone tactics to exploit social divides, weaken public trust, and sow anxiety and fear. Ultimately, these efforts seek to destabilize national identity and social cohesion.

"Disinformation is a global threat because it affects everything, including our confidence in each other," Col. Herrera remarked. He further highlighted a critical vulnerability in the current landscape, noting that frontline defenders (including communicators and local leaders) are sometimes left defenseless simply because they lack awareness of how cognitive tactics operate.

Col. Herrera emphasized that defeating information warfare requires more than standard public relations tactics.

"Press releases are not enough," he declared. "There must be groundwork on the floor and a sustained effort to drumbeat truth across social media platforms. This social media warfare is a long battle."

Calling for a united front, Col. Herrera concluded that truth-telling and digital defense are shared civic responsibilities.

"Awareness is a tool for empowerment. An informed populace is an empowered populace. It is a patriotic duty to defend our country against false and harmful information to achieve true national cohesion and unity."

By: The Public Affairs Unit

DepEd Caraga

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By: The Publis Affairs Unit

DepEd Caraga

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For more information, contact (085) 221-1151, 0961-737-0873, or 0915-808-4734. Website: www.caraga.deped.gov.ph; email: caraga@deped.gov.ph; pau_caraga@deped.gov.ph

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