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Epoch Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Beijing's Embassy in Manila Engaged in ‘Treasonous' Disinformation Campaign, Lawmaker Alleges
Beijing's embassy in Manila had hired a company in the Philippines to 'destroy the credibility not just of a person or a leader, but of the country,' according to Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, who is also chairperson of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones. During a hearing of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones on alleged spying by Beijing, Tolentino said the embassy had hired a troll farm to spread disinformation. This included the supposed disadvantages to the Philippines of having the U.S. Typhon missile system and the dangers of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s regime, considering the 'history of its dictatorship family'—a reference to the notorious rule of his father, Ferdinand Marcos, who was deposed in a coup in 1986. Tolentino alleged that government investigations had found 330 fraudulent Facebook and X accounts that had been created to spread propaganda, which were made to appear as sentiments of legitimate users. 'This is not a normal PR campaign,' he said. 'What they do is to openly provide information and convey the policies of the Chinese government. This shows that the People's Republic of China paid them to destroy the credibility not just of a person or a leader, but of the country.' He presented what he claimed was a contract between the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and Makati-based marketing firm InfinitUs Marketing Solutions, and a copy of a cheque, written on Sept. 11, 2023, for 930,000 pesos (US$16,500/A$25,900) that he said the embassy paid to the company. He said it has been signed by Wu Chenqi, the embassy's director for media and public relations. 'The money that the Chinese Embassy paid was for something hidden and sinister. It was to finance a troll farm. A covert disinformation and influence operation against the Philippine government and the Filipino people,' he said. Related Stories 3/26/2025 3/4/2025 He said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) financed the campaign because it 'does not want the Philippines to have the means to defend its territory and sovereignty.' Tolentino told Congress that all parties needed to agree on how to confront such activities, including creating a strong and effective law on spying. He also wants the government to identify and pursue more troll farms. Clamping Down on CCP Influence On April 28, the National Security Council (NSC) alleged there were 'indications' that 'state-sponsored' information operations by Beijing are being conducted to interfere in the May 12 midterm election results by targeting candidates critical of the CCP and supporting those in favour. NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said these accusations 'appeared to be legitimate' and the NSC had asked the National Bureau of Investigation to build a case and charge those responsible. In January this year, Manila announced it had arrested a suspected CCP spy, along with two Filipino accomplices. The alleged spy is a graduate of a university 'controlled and operated by the People's Liberation Army (PLA),' NBI Cybercrime Division Chief Jeremy Lotoc said in a press conference. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Chief Jaime Santiago gestures beside a confiscated vehicle containing equipment during a press presentation of Chinese nationals and their Philippine accomplices, arrested for alleged espionage, at the NBI office in Manila on Feb. 25, 2025. TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images He was a specialist in 'control engineering,' and authorities had found high-tech equipment in his vehicle that could be used for surveillance. These included a laser sensor and a GPS tracker, which Lotoc said could 'pick up frequencies in critical structures like military bases, police camps. They are collating data, they have remote equipment that is transferred in real time outside our country.' The alleged spy had visited areas where Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites are located. The agreement allows the United States to rotate troops into the Philippines for extended stays and allows the United States to build and operate facilities for use by both American and Philippine forces. House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V said Beijing's activities were 'foreign interference—designed to infiltrate our politics, confuse our people, and weaken our country from the inside,' and alleged that pro-CCP candidates were among those standing for election. He described the situation as 'unacceptable and treasonous.' 'They are paying Filipinos to discredit our own country,' he said. The Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) joined in condemning the use of fake accounts to spread disinformation, calling the practice unethical and careless. 'While our role is to uphold and strengthen the reputation of our clients and organisations, this is not to be done at the expense of societal good,' PRSP said. 'We believe in the power of words and stories to shape public perception and opinion. As such, we exert utmost care and effort to ensure that we adhere to a set of ethical standards in the practice of our profession.' Disinformation researchers who studied the 2019 elections found an increased use of influencers and 'troll farms' to help win over potential voters, with PR, marketing, and advertising firms discreetly offering these services to clients, the Society said.
Straits Times
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Manila accuses Beijing of ‘sinister' troll campaign to sway 2025 midterm polls, push South China Sea narratives
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino presents at the April 24 Senate hearing a copy of the alleged cheque paid by the Chinese Embassy to InfinitUs in Sept 2023. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SENATOR FRANCIS TOLENTINO'S OFFICE MANILA – The Philippines on April 24 accused China of orchestrating a 'hidden and sinister' disinformation campaign to influence public opinion with pro-Beijing narratives, targeting not only the South China Sea dispute but also midterm election candidates critical of Beijing's claims. During a Senate hearing on China's alleged espionage activities in the Philippines, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino presented documents as he accused the Chinese Embassy in Manila of hiring a local public relations firm to operate a 'troll' farm as early as 2023. Mr Tolentino claimed that InfinitUs Marketing Solutions Inc, based in the Philippines' financial district Makati, was tapped to influence public perception through fake social media accounts, while simultaneously attacking Philippine government policies seen as unfavourable to Beijing. Among those being targeted, he said, were President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, justices of the Supreme Court and lawmakers like Mr Tolentino, who is seeking reelection in the May polls. 'The money that the Chinese Embassy paid was for something hidden and sinister. It was to finance a troll farm,' Mr Tolentino told the hearing . '(This is) a covert disinformation and influence operation against the Philippine government and the Filipino people'. Mr Tolentino, who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, called for the hearing on April 24 after recent arrests of suspected Chinese spies who have mapped out strategic areas in the Philippines, including military bases that the US has access to, under a defence deal with Manila. There are ongoing tensions between the Philippines and China over their overlapping claims in the South China Sea. Representatives from the Chinese Embassy and InfinitUs were not present at the hearing, but Mr Tolentino said they may be summoned in future sessions. A follow-up hearing has yet to be scheduled. The Straits Times has asked the embassy and the company to comment on the allegations, but they are yet to respond. During the hearing, Mr Tolentino presented a service agreement that he said was brokered in August 2023 between the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, represented by then-media and public relations director Wu Chenqi, and InfinitUs' marketing director Myka Poynton. He also showed a cheque for 930,000 pesos (S$22,000) from the Bank of China's Manila branch, dated Sept 11, 2023, and payable to InfinitUs, which he alleged was part of the payment for the disinformation campaign. The firm allegedly created hundreds of 'keyboard warriors' or fake social media accounts masquerading as Filipino students, businessmen, and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. They reportedly interacted with real users to sow disinformation and amplify pro-Beijing narratives on issues ranging from maritime disputes to domestic foreign policy alignment. Mr Tolentino alleged that the online campaign was run by a team of 11 people that created 300 Facebook accounts and 30 X profiles that reached about 50,000 Filipino users on both platforms. Mr Tolentino alleged that the online campaign was run by a team of 11 people that created 300 Facebook accounts and 30 X profiles that reached about 50,000 Filipino users on both platforms. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SENATOR FRANCIS TOLENTINO'S OFFICE 'This is not normal public relations. Neither is it a normal PR campaign. What's being done is to openly provide information and convey the policies of the Chinese government,' Mr Tolentino said. He said some of the InfinitUs team members are Filipinos, but did not blame them for spreading disinformation. 'They were just following orders based on the contract I presented,' Mr Tolentino said. Founded in 2018, InfinitUs bills itself on its official website as a 'boutique end-to-end marketing solutions company' catering to growing middle-market businesses and upscale international clients. Though headquartered in the Philippines, the firm offers a Chinese-language version of its site and lists China-based companies such as tech giant Huawei and aluminum producer Zhongwang among its clients. The National Security Council (NSC) echoed Mr Tolentino's concerns during the hearing, with assistant director general Jonathan Malaya saying it has identified 'indications' of alleged Chinese-sponsored groups interfering with the May polls. But he did not make any direct connections to the embassy or the PR firm for now. Mr Malaya said narratives coming out of Beijing, such as criticism of the ongoing annual war games between Filipino and American soldiers in key parts of the Philippines, have been mirrored by 'local proxies' using various social media accounts. 'There are indications that information operations are being conducted or that Chinese state-sponsored groups in the Philippines are actually interfering in the forthcoming elections,' Mr Malaya said. Asked by Mr Tolentino if the NSC believes China is running operations to support local candidates they want to win in the Philippine midterms while targeting those it did not prefer, Mr Malaya said yes. He added that the NSC has already identified these local proxies but did not disclose them for now. Mara Cepeda is Philippines correspondent at The Straits Times. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
South China Morning Post
15-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Manila says Google's ‘West Philippine Sea' label shows global support for its stance
A move by US technology giant Google to label a part of the South China Sea as the 'West Philippine Sea' has been hailed by Filipino officials as a sign of growing global recognition of Manila's sovereignty in the disputed waters amid its long-standing row with Beijing. Advertisement The update in Google Maps marking the waters that the Philippines considers within its exclusive economic zone, however, has also drawn some scepticism about the extent of international support for Manila's position. Previously, the label 'West Philippine Sea' only appeared in searches in the Google Earth app. With the change in Google Maps, users can also find this name when they scan the South China Sea in the app, with the disputed waters visible to the north and west of the West Philippine Sea. Checks by This Week in Asia found that the newly demarcated area was near the contested Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines. Philippine senator Francis Tolentino on Monday described the label on Google Maps as a sign of Manila's jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea. Advertisement '[This] represents a victory for all Filipinos. It is also an affirmation of the correctness of the Philippines' current policy to assert its sovereign rights in line with international law and multilateralism,' Tolentino said in a statement.
