SPECIAL Committee on ASEAN Affairs Senior Vice Chairperson and Pangasinan Rep. Maria Rachel Arenas called on parliaments from the Asian region to adapt to a security environment where digital tools are increasingly exploited by extremist actors.
Speaking at the start of the three-day ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) training course on legislative measures against AI-driven extremism, Arenas said, “We now face a hybrid threat environment in which violent extremist actors operate within digital and information ecosystems—using online platforms for radicalization, artificial intelligence (AI)–generated disinformation, encrypted communications, and digital financing.”
She stressed that uneven legal frameworks weaken collective counterterrorism efforts and that governments also rely on AI systems for intelligence, border control, surveillance, and public safety, underscoring the need for clear safeguards.
“In this interconnected environment, fragmented or outdated national laws can create regulatory arbitrage—gaps that malicious actors deliberately exploit by operating from jurisdictions with weaker safeguards,” Arenas said.
She also cited the country’s experience with the Human Security Act of 2007 in shaping its approach to balancing security and civil liberties.
“Those principles remain our guide as we confront artificial intelligence–driven risks,” Arenas said.
The training course on “Legislative and Policy Measures to Prevent and Counter the Use of Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies for Terrorism and Violent Extremism Purposes,” aims to build long-term parliamentary capacity and deepen regional cooperation on emerging security challenges.
This three-day program begins with understanding AI and identifying national gaps, then integrates human rights safeguards and oversight, and concludes with crafting a shared and actionable AIPA outcome document, with Arenas encouraging open dialogue and constructive collaboration among parliamentarians.
It also advances the ASEAN 2026 theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together,” and the AIPA 2026 theme, “Parliaments Securing a Peaceful, Prosperous, and People-Centered ASEAN,” reinforcing the role of parliaments as guardians of technological innovation and human dignity.
The training strengthens core parliamentary functions in counter-terrorism and preventing and countering violent extremism, including adaptive legislation, rigorous oversight, and the protection of citizens’ rights in an increasingly digital public sphere.
The Manila gathering marks the second phase of the training course, following its pilot run in Amman, Jordan in November 2025, and forms part of the enduring legacy of the Philippine AIPA Presidency.
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