Andanar on being ‘China’s troll paymaster:’ Fake news!

Beijing-based news anchor and former Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Monday slammed Cagayan Economic Zone Authority Administrator and CEO Katrina Ponce Enrile for accusing him of funding China’s alleged disinformation campaign against the Philippines.

The CEZA official, the daughter of Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, recently claimed that Andanar had a significant role in financing disinformation campaigns by vloggers in the Philippines.

“Martin Andanar is not based here. He is in Beijing, funding all this disinformation, like Maharlika TV and Sass Sasot. They’re not acting out of love for the country. They’re doing it for money from China,” said Ponce Enrile in a now-viral TikTok video.

“They’re doing this because they’re getting paid. (Do you) want to continue listening to their rants? Go ahead. But I’m just telling you, they’re being paid from China,” she added.

Andanar denied the allegations, calling Ponce Enrile’s comments “fake news.” He said he is a “staunch defender” of the Philippines.

“A for effort for the pretense of being a staunch defender. C for corned beef, with Purefoods still the best in my book,” Andanar said cryptically.

He advised Enrile to do research to avoid the embarrassment of being labeled a “mema,” a contraction of the Filipino words “meron masabi,” referring to someone who speaks for the sake of saying something.

In the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Andanar held the position of secretary in the Presidential Communications Operations Office, now supplanted by the Presidential Communications Office.

Andanar’s move to Beijing as a news anchor at the China Global Television Network, a state-owned English-language news channel, has sparked concerns in light of the grave accusations.