Senator Francis Tolentino revealed on Thursday that the Chinese Embassy is allegedly funding a troll farm in the Philippines, employing Filipinos to influence public opinion on maritime and national issues.
During a Senate inquiry into the presence of submersible drones and China’s alleged spying activities in the Philippines, Tolentino presented a contract between the Chinese Embassy and InfinitUs Marketing Solutions Incorporated, signed in August 2023, for the operation of so-called "keyboard warriors."
"Meron silang agreement. Ang trabaho ng InfinitUs is to provide keyboard warriors. Malamang itong keyboard warriors ay mga kababayan natin," said the senator.
Tolentino also presented a check dated September 11, amounting to ₱930,000, allegedly issued by the Chinese Embassy to the marketing firm as payment for one month of operations.
"Hindi po ito normal public relations, hindi po ito normal PR campaign. Ang ginagawa po is to openly provide information and convey the policies of the Chinese government," Tolentino explained.
According to him, the keyboard warriors were tasked to comment on social media posts and spread fake news and information favorable to China, especially on issues concerning the West Philippine Sea.
Some of these trolls allegedly pose as teachers, soldiers, police officers, or government employees who express discontent against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. or the Philippine government.
Tolentino warned that many Filipinos are deceived into believing that these posts are from real individuals, when in fact, they are part of a Chinese troll farm operation.
"So ibig sabihin po 'yung lumalabas sa Facebook ay di totoong tao, ito po ay troll…kaya lang ang ating mga kababayan ay nalilinlang," he said.
The marketing firm reportedly claimed in its report that it had reached 50,000 real individuals using these troll accounts, who were allegedly caught in their web of deception.
According to Tolentino, the targets of these attacks include the President, lawmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and members of the judiciary.
"Lahat po ng lumalabas ngayon, karamihan 'yung akala nating viral, 'yung akala natin ay pinag-uusapan talaga ay base pala sa mga ganito. Ang nagbayad ay China para atakihin ang maraming personalidad," he said, adding that he himself may have been a subject of online bashing.
Tolentino emphasized that the operation is still ongoing, and that other marketing firms may also be involved aside from InfinitUs.
He clarified, however, that Filipinos working under the said contract should not be blamed, as they may not be fully aware of the broader implications of their work.
Meanwhile, National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya confirmed before the Senate committee that there are indications of Chinese state-sponsored information operations in the Philippines, particularly aimed at interfering in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.
Malaya said China's electoral interference stems from disinformation campaigns and narratives being amplified by local actors.
"What we are seeing is that there are many narratives coming out of Beijing that are being amplified by third-party individuals and their proxies," he said, noting that such interference typically escalates during election survey periods.
He also cited that China’s criticism of the recent Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) joint military exercises between the U.S. and the Philippines is being spread through various proxy groups.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila and InfinitUs have not yet released a statement over this matter.
