Army team gets social media training from US special ops to counter online threats

Colonel Romeo S. Brawner, Commanding Officer of the Philippine Army’s Civil Military Operations (CMO) Regiment, speaks to members of the US Indo-Pacific Augmentation Team. Photo: US Embassy

Information operations specialists from the US Army recently conducted a training session for the Philippine Army's newly activated social media monitoring cell, which aims to counter online threats.

According to a press release from the US Embassy on Wednesday, the training covered "monitoring, clarifying, and countering disinformation spread by violent extremist organizations on social media."

The Philippine Army's Civil Military Operations (CMO) Regiment activated the social media monitoring cell last July 23, with support from the US Embassy.

“This social media cell is another example of the combined US-Philippine effort to counter violent extremism and mitigate threats to regional stability,” said Captain Robert Barnes of the US Embassy’s Indo-Pacific Command Augmentation (PAT) Team.

The cell was developed at the direction of Lieutenant General Rolando Joselito Bautista as part of a larger effort to "bolster the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ information operations capability." — Jessica Bartolome/BM, GMA News