House Leaders Demand Thorough Probe into Chinese Disinformation Campaign Targeting West Philippine Sea Dispute and 2025 Elections
Manila, Philippines – The House of Representatives is poised to intensify its investigation into an alleged Chinese-backed disinformation campaign spreading across social media platforms, focusing on its connection to the contentious West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute and its potential impact on the upcoming 2025 national elections. Concerns have been raised about the exploitation of paid social media influencers and personalities to amplify these narratives, potentially swaying public opinion and undermining national security. Members of the House Tripartite Committee on Strategic Intelligence emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue, warning against foreign entities leveraging social media to manipulate public perception and interfere in Philippine sovereign affairs.
The gravity of the situation was underscored by House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, who stressed the need to regulate the dissemination of misinformation and disinformation. With the 2025 elections on the horizon, Adiong warned that propaganda-driven falsehoods pose a significant threat to the democratic process and could destabilize national security. The Tripartite Committee’s ongoing investigation has already uncovered evidence of disinformation networks actively manipulating online discourse to mislead the public on critical issues, including the WPS dispute.
The committee’s latest hearing featured a presentation by PressOne.PH, revealing a sophisticated disinformation campaign orchestrated through a network of Chinese-controlled social media accounts. Their investigation unearthed over 107 fake X (formerly Twitter) accounts, originally created for Spanish-speaking audiences, that were repurposed to disseminate false information about the WPS and promote pro-Duterte propaganda. This discovery has raised serious concerns about the extent of foreign influence operations targeting the Philippines and their potential to shape public opinion on sensitive geopolitical issues.
The House committee is prepared to escalate its legal actions against social media influencers who have repeatedly refused to cooperate with the investigation. Representative Adiong warned that their refusal to attend hearings and provide testimony raises suspicions of deliberate evasion of accountability. Some influencers have even resorted to challenging the Tripartite Committee’s probe in the Supreme Court, a move dismissed by 1RIDER Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez, a member of the House Prosecution Panel against Vice President Sara Duterte, as a blatant attempt to avoid scrutiny. Adiong, however, emphasized that questioning the legality of the House inquiry is unfounded, as legislative probes in aid of legislation are well within the powers of Congress.
The escalating concerns over foreign interference in online discourse have prompted lawmakers to explore stricter regulations to hold those involved accountable. Representative Gutierrez argued that while freedom of speech is a fundamental right, it is not absolute and cannot be used as a shield for disseminating disinformation that endangers national security. He stressed the need to strike a balance between protecting free speech and safeguarding the country from malicious propaganda campaigns. The committee is determined to ensure that foreign-backed disinformation does not undermine Philippine democracy, especially in light of the increasing national security threats in the WPS.
As the Tripartite Committee’s investigation resumes, House leaders are committed to uncovering the full extent of the Chinese disinformation campaign, identifying the individuals and networks involved, and implementing measures to counter this threat to national security and democratic processes. They recognize the urgency of addressing this issue, not only to protect the integrity of the upcoming elections but also to safeguard the Philippines’ sovereignty and its interests in the disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea. The investigation is expected to shed light on the sophisticated tactics employed by foreign actors to manipulate online discourse and influence public opinion, and will inform legislative efforts to combat disinformation and protect the integrity of Philippine democracy.