SCUTTLEBUTT

Divide and rule

Residents of a city in the southern metro area, whose leaders claim it is in the top five in terms of progress despite a Commission on Audit report placing it in seventh place, are wary of local policies being implemented by their elected leaders.

The city’s leaders wanted to project the image that they have a caring administration by showcasing a weekly “Serbisyo Caravan” that offers health and social services, among others, to barangays.

Residents appreciated the program until somebody in the city government opted to let the services be implemented by “leaders” who are also-rans in the recent barangay elections.

Since they are allied with the current administration, the “Serbisyo Caravan” functionaries now act like their elected counterparts, something which residents consider a case of misrepresentation since the former have no mandate and are mere job order personnel.

It is apparent, however, that these “impostors” are doing the incumbent officials a favor by going around different barangays and doing a survey on which communities support the incumbent city officials.

Expect these yokels to be active supporters of those is power in next year’s polls.

Twists and turns

As the mid-term elections close in, Chinese-influenced activity online is expected to increase, according to Canberra-based think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).

ASPI suspects Chinese state elements may help sympathetic candidates who are seeking Senate positions and thus strengthen its chances of having new alliances with local politicians.

In the first half of 2024, it was noted there was a significant increase in overt propaganda from Chinese state media exploiting foreigners who pushed China’s lines. There were also attacks by pro-China Communist Party groups against the Philippine Coast Guard seeking to undermine trust in the Marcos administration and its policies.

This isn’t the first time that China-backed networks have promoted content supporting political ambitions.

ASPI recalled in 2020 that Facebook parent Meta removed a network originating from China for posting content supportive of a certain candidate.

According to Graphika, a social media analytics firm, two pages that focused on the Philippines attracted around 57,000 and 40,000 followers.

In comparison, the Chinese group Spamouflage’s campaign disseminating the recent deepfake video of President Marcos “has struggled to gain engagement.”

As the nation approaches the elections next year, online operations that are sophisticated and covert, intending to secure a new Congress with more representatives having favorable views of China, are expected.

Since Spamouflage campaigns are typically coordinated with other covert influence operations, it is plausible that the Chinese government directly supported or was notified in advance about the creation of the deepfake video.

“Previous Spamouflage campaigns harassing Canadian politicians amplified articles from Red Maple News, a Chinese-language Canadian media outlet with links to the CCP’s united front and propaganda system. CCP-produced disinformation over Japan’s release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant was coordinated with the supposed leaks of fake documents,” ASPI added.

The Maisug rallies, where the deepfake Marcos video premiered, have possible links to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), ASPI indicated.

POGOs appear to be part of the CCP’s efforts to capture and influence the Philippines’ elite. Maisug means “brave, strong, fearless” in Cebuano language.

ASPI ceded that it remains unclear how the Maisug campaign was funded, despite being held globally in various Filipino diasporas and sometimes attracting thousands of attendees.