President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on May 1, 2024. File

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has ordered the military and other security officials to beef up its skills to combat "new forms" of threat, particularly the emergence of digital warfare.

China renews call for Philippines to stop 'provocations' over South China Sea

“Times are changing and we are facing new threats now to our nation’s security. The battlefield is changing, it will go beyond traditional warfighting as we have known it," Marcos told military officials said Thursday during his visit at the Camp Edilberto Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City.

PCO refutes audio 'deep fake' of Marcos Jr.

"I call on you to develop the skills that are going to be required to combat these new forms of warfare, including those that extend up to the digital realm," he added.

RELATED: Digital warfare: Myanmar's cyber crackdown explained

The Philippine government had earlier slammed China for spreading what it calls false narratives on the West Philippine Sea issue.

Philippine Navy official Roy Vincent Trinidad labeled China's tactic as "Marites warfare" or "sowing intrigue among us Filipinos" to trigger infighting and divert attention from its maritime violations in the West Philippine Sea.

'Marites warfare': Philippine Navy scoffs at China's claims

On Thursday, Marcos issued the same warning, saying the "country’s enemies will discretely infiltrate the very communities and institutions the government and security institutions seek to protect."

He said security forces must be prepared to fight false narratives, disinformation, and digital operation.

In 2022, a  Pulse Asia survey showed that about 9 out of every 10 Filipinos believe "fake news" is a problem in the Philippines. 

Marcos calls for youth-oriented campaign vs disinformation

RELATED VIDEO