FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list First Nominee Brian Poe joined national security experts at a forum organized by the National Defense College of the Philippines Alumni Association, Inc. on Monday, April 22, 2025, in Intramuros, Manila.
The event, titled “Equal Voices, Equal Choices: Setting a Robust Security and Development Agenda for the 20th Congress and Beyond,” brought together policymakers and security practitioners to discuss urgent defense challenges facing the country.
During the forum, former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales proposed introducing compulsory military service over the next five years, emphasizing the need to prepare the country’s youth for national defense.
“Supposing we’re attacked, what are our preparations?” Gonzales said. “Our young people are our greatest asset for building the defense we need.”
Poe, representing the alumni community, highlighted economic security vulnerabilities, warning that the Philippines’ dependence on China for trade and energy could expose the country to economic sabotage without the need for armed conflict.
“Without firing a single bullet, halting trade could cripple us,” Poe said, noting the country’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and rice.
He also pointed out the urgent need to strengthen cybersecurity to protect national interests.
Poe shared his background in national security, having studied counterterrorism at Georgetown University, completed his Master’s at the National Defense College, and undergone counterintelligence training with the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).
The forum underscored the importance of a comprehensive national security agenda that includes economic resilience, defense modernization, and cybersecurity preparedness as the country faces increasingly complex global threats.
