Charge China trolls — lawmaker
A Mindanaoan solon is urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file criminal charges against the officers and members of the board of directors of a company contracted by China to promote its narrative on the West Philippine Sea.
Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez today made the appeal after Sen. Francis Tolentino, who chairs the Senate special maritime committee, revealed in a public hearing on Thursday that Makati-based Infinitus Marketing Solutions has been engaged by China for “keyboard warriors” that would put Beijing in good light amid the Philippines-China dispute on the West Philippine Sea.
“The DOJ and the National Bureau of Investigation should file charges for treason and other violations of the Revised Penal Code and the National Security Act against officers and directors of Infinitus Marketing Solutions,” Rodriguez said.
“In general, these laws punish any Filipino who betrays or is disloyal to his country and who works against its national interest, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
The former law dean said Chinese embassy officers who contracted Infinitus should also be charged as “principals by direct participation.”
“These Chinese diplomats and embassy staff should likewise be immediately sanctioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs,” he added.
An internet search showed that a certain Paul Li is the Infinitus co-founder and managing partner, while Myka Basco-Poynton is another co-founder. Nestor Arciaga is its marketing officer and social media manager.
In the course of his committee’s hearing on Thursday, Tolentino said China has engaged the Makati-based firm for its “troll farms.”
“China’s government through its embassy is paying Filipino troll farms to oppose and smear the administration,” he said.
Rodriguez, a consistent critic of China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea, urged Tolentino to summon Infinitus officers and members of its board of directors to explain the details of their engagement with China.
“I am interested in knowing the social media personalities they have engaged and paid to work against our national interest and promote China’s false narratives on the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
He noted that in a recent House hearing, an official of Meta (formerly Facebook) revealed that his company has countered a false post made by a blogger who claimed that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had used water cannons in one encounter with the China Coast Guard (CCG).
After its fact-checker found that the blogger’s claim was untrue, Meta posted a clarification stating that PCG has never deployed water cannons against CCG.
In Thursday’s Senate hearing, another resource person of the Tolentino panel, National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said they have found “indicators” that China is funding certain candidates in the May 12 elections.
