Government officials, legal experts, and defense scholars convened at the 26th Heneral Antonio Luna Colloquium to discuss the proposed New Anti-Espionage Act and its implications on national security and the broader defense establishment.
The forum, jointly organized by the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Office for Strategic Studies and Strategy Management, was held on December 3 at the NDCP Honor Hall in Camp Aguinaldo.
The discussion centered on Senate Bill No.1395, specifically its potential impact on the broader defense establishment.
Presentations were delivered by Rep. Rolando Valeriano of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, Col. Vener Malabanan III of the Judge Advocate General Service, and Atty. Rowena Acudili of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.
The speakers explained how the proposed measure could serve as an effective legal tool in fortifying the country’s defense and security.
Serving as reactors were Lt. Col. Lex Michelle Dapanas of the AFP Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Atty. Voltaire Garcia of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and Atty. Felix Sy of Sy & Partners.
In his closing remarks, NDCP President retired Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Cartujano emphasized the importance of precisely defining espionage under the proposed law, strengthening penalties to curb illegal activities, and extending jurisdiction to cover foreign actors planning operations beyond Philippine borders.
“It is also equally important to understand that this empowers our law enforcement agencies with legal mechanisms to detect, monitor, and prosecute espionage across physical and digital domains,” he added.
