By HANA BORDEY, GMA Integrated News
The Chinese Embassy in Manila has allegedly entered into a contract with a Philippine-based marketing firm to organize a troll farm and hire “keyboard warriors” in 2023.
This was disclosed by Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino during a Senate investigation into submersible drones and alleged China’s spying activities in the Philippines.
Tolentino presented during the hearing a service agreement brokered in August 2023 between the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, represented by Wu Chenqi, director of the embassy’s media and public relations, and InfinitUs Marketing Solutions Inc., represented by Myka Poynton, marketing director of the firm.
“Meron silang agreement. Ang trabaho ng InfinitUs is to provide keyboard warriors... Malamang itong keyboard warriors ay mga kababayan natin,” he said, presenting the details of the said contract.
The senator also showed a check from Bank of China Manila Branch dated September 11,2023 which paid P930,000 to InfinitUs.
“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 said.
“The money that the Chinese Embassy paid was for something hidden and sinister. It was to finance a troll farm. Troll farm po ‘yun. A covert disinformation and influence operation against the Philippine government and the Filipino people,” he added.
Tolentino also divulged information allegedly from InfinitUs’ report which “boasted” about “hundreds of fake social media accounts they have created using fake personas.”
These fake accounts supposedly pretended to be students, businessmen, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, according to the senator.
“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 also allegedly included in their report that they have engaged 50,000 real people through these troll accounts and they were “entangled in their web of deceit.”
“‘Di ito simpleng kontrata. Ito pong kontrata at kabayaran na ito ay pagyurak sa dignidad ng mga Pilipino, pagyapak sa dignidad ng Pilipinas,” Tolentino said.
“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 added.
According to Tolentino, the personalities being attacked include the President of the Philippines, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the members of the Judiciary.
This, Tolentino said, might include him, noting that he has been a subject of bashing online.
He said that this operation is still “ongoing” and there are more firms that have been engaged in this operation aside from InfinitUs.
While he divulged this, Tolentino noted that it is not the fault of the Filipinos who are working under the contract between the Chinese Embassy and InfinitUs.
“Kung ano po ang inutos sa kanila ay base sa kontratang pinakita ko,” Tolentino said.
GMA News Online sought the comment of the Chinese Embassy in Manila through its spokesperson and InfinitUs Marketing Solutions, Inc. through its email address posted on its website. We will update the story once we get their responses. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
