Philippine Navy scrambles to shield vital undersea cables from spies
By Leilani Chavez
Jan 5, 2026, 09:47 AM
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy is exploring ways to monitor subsea cables as part of larger efforts to protect underwater infrastructure from sabotage and spying.
Numerous submarine cables crisscross the Philippines’ underwater domain, including cables that connect Southeast Asia to the United States, India and Hong Kong. Data that passes through these channels is vital for economics, trade and communications.
Navies across Southeast Asia have raised concerns over cable-cutting incidents reported in the Taiwan Strait, the Red Sea and the Baltic Sea.
For Philippine authorities, the sheer volume of reported incidents “exceeds the scope of accidents that are expected to be natural or incidental,” said Nestor Gerico, deputy director general of the Philippines’ National Security Council.
“These incidents are not random,” Gerico said. “These are potential acts of aggression.”
https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2026/01/05/philippine-navy-scrambles-to-shield-vital-undersea-cables-from-spies/
