Andanar slams Katrina Ponce Enrile claim he funds disinformation from Beijing: 'Fake news'

News anchor and former Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Monday slammed Cagayan Economic Zone Authority Administrator and Chief Executive Officer Katrina Ponce Enrile for accusing him of funding disinformation campaigns from Beijing.

The CEZA official, who is the daughter of Chief Presidential Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, recently claimed that Andanar had a significant role in financing disinformation campaigns by local 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," Ponce Enrile said 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 added that 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.

Andanar also told Enrile to research to avoid embarrassment and being labeled as mere "mema," a contraction of the Filipino words "mayroong masasabi" (something to say).

In the Filipino vernacular, the term "mema" is used to characterize an individual who speaks without substance, often uttering words that are irrelevant or inappropriate to the context.

During the tenure of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Andanar held the position of secretary in the now-defunct Presidential Communications Operations Office.

Andanar's move to Beijing, securing a news anchor role at the China Global Television Network, a state-owned English-language news channel, has attracted concerns in light of Enrile's accusations.