Sen. Francis Tolentino accuses Chinese Embassy of financing troll farms provided by local PR firm
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has financed a disinformation campaign with the help of a local public relations firm, Sen. Francis Tolentino alleged on April 24.
During the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones hearing, which was livestreamed on Facebook, Tolentino presented an alleged service agreement between the Chinese Embassy and the Makati-based InfinitUs Marketing Solutions Inc.
An excerpt of the document, dated August 2023 and signed in Makati, showed that a certain Mr. Wu Chenqi, Chinese Embassy director of the media and public relations, entered a deal with Myka Poynton, marketing director of InfinitUs.
Chenqi, the "client," allegedly sought the services of InfinitUs, the "provider," to "provide consultancy and to help manage and implement its Projects."
According to Tolentino, “Ang trabaho ng InfinitUs is to provide keyboard warriors." They allegedly create several online personas to post pro-China propaganda and engage in targeted conversations. They also discredit the Philippine government and other local figures.
"Malamang-lamang, itong keyboard warriors ay mga kababayan natin, mga Pilipino... hindi lahat nakabase sa China," he said. "Ito po ay nagtatrabaho sa Pilipinas."
Tolentino also showed a page in the alleged agreement stating, "The provider's dedicated keyboard warriors play a vital role in the overall effectiveness of the issue management project."
The said agreement also showed a call to payment of the company's keyboard warriors.
"To foster and sustain their high level of motivation, it is crucial to provide them with competitive compensation packages," it read. "By increasing their salaries to 8% each with a total cost of P24,000 per month but the provider only its rate to P10,000 per month."
"We aim to acknowledge their hard work, dedication, and continuous commitment to delivering exceptional results," it added.
Tolentino also showed a list of supposed instructions regarding the tone and voice the keyboard warriors must follow when posting on social media, as well as an alleged cheque showing that the Chinese Embassy paid InfinitUs P930,000 for its services on Sept. 11, 2023.
"Ito'y nagpapatunay na China mismo ang nagbabayad at ang mga nag-ooperate, siguro di naman nila na 'yun ang gagawin nilang trabaho," he said.
"Hindi ito simpleng kontrata. Ito pong kontrata at kabayarang ito ay pagyurak sa dignidad ng mga Pilipino, pagyapak sa dignidad ng Pilipinas," he said. "Lahat po ng lumalabas ngayon, karamihan 'yung akala natin viral, 'yung akala natin pinag-uusapan talaga, ay base sa mga ganito."
Tolentino clarified that Filipinos who are paid to be keyboard warriors have no fault, as they're only following orders stipulated in the contract.
"Wala naman silang intensiyong sirain ang presidente ng Pilipinas, ang miyembro ng Senado, ng Kongreso, ng Hudikatura, lahat na," he said. "Kung ano 'yung iutos sa kanila, 'yun ay base sa kontratang ipinakita ko."
He noted that through InfinitUs, the job was to "openly provide information and convey the policies of the Chinese government."
“Hindi po ito normal public relations, hindi rin po ito normal PR campaign," the lawmaker said.
Tolentino said the money that the Chinese Embassy paid to the PR firm was for "something hidden and sinister."
"It was to finance a troll farm," Tolentino said. "Troll farm po 'yun, a covert disinformation and influenced operation against the Philippine government and the Filipino people."
He also showed InfinitUs's alleged monthly report dated November 2024 where it took pride of creating hundreds of fake social media accounts. It also boasted to "its foreign masters in China about 50,000 people entangled in their web of deceit."
“Nagpapanggap na mga ordinaryong Pilipino, teachers, estudyante, negosyante, members of the Armed Forces," he said. "Each fake persona pretending to be one of us."
“Ibig sabihin, 'yung lumalabas sa Facebook ay hindi totoong tao. Ito po ay troll. Nagpapanggap na mga maestra, nagpapangap na OFW."
Tolentino presented another file labeled "Social Media Army Accounts Information," which indicates quantitative information like total Facebook and Twitter accounts at 330; total friends and followers of the army at 53,322; and the number of staff in the operating team at 11, including the team leader.
"Isa lang po ito sa operations nila. Marami pa pong iba," he said.
Tolentino lamented that there are Filipinos who get victimized by such operations.
"May teacher sa ganitong lugar, nagagalit kay ganito. Magagalit, sasagot, hahaba na. Naiinvolve sila sa discussion. Di nila alam, financed ito ng People's Republic of China," he said, adding that later on, a real Filipino would take part in that made-up conversations.
Tolentino said it's not only InfinitUs that have such kind of operations, and that it's still ongoing.
The lawmaker asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to launch an investigation, noting that companies like InfinitUs can easily register and incorporate without the commission knowing their true operations.
