UST journ student unmasks Chinese-linked social media network pushing anti-Phl, pro-Duterte content

As the nation grapples with the ongoing impeachment controversy surrounding Vice President Sara Duterte and the alarming spread of fake news across social media platforms — prompting the House Committee to summon vloggers and influencers for a congressional inquiry — an unsettling discovery has surfaced. PressOne.PH, an independent news website, has identified an army of Chinese social media accounts disseminating questionable and anti-Philippines content.

Niceforo Balbedina III, a master’s student in journalism at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and a multimedia editor at PressOne.PH, uncovered a Chinese-linked disinformation network actively spreading pro-Duterte and anti-Marcos narratives on X (formerly Twitter).

During a House of Representatives hearing on 4 February, Balbedina presented an investigative report revealing 107 suspicious accounts systematically posting content in support of Vice President Sara Duterte while simultaneously attacking President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Balbedina, alongside UST Department of Journalism Chair and PressOne.PH founding editor Felipe Salvosa II, shed light on the broader implications of foreign influence operations (FIO) and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).

FIMI refers to deliberate efforts by a foreign government or entity to manipulate a nation’s political, social, or economic landscape through deceptive tactics, propaganda, and disinformation campaigns — ultimately undermining democratic processes and public trust in institutions.

The investigation highlighted that these suspicious accounts frequently amplified Duterte’s criticisms of the current administration.

“We observed that their posting activity is highly reactionary. These accounts tweet repetitively, often aligning their content with developments in the country’s issues, such as Vice President Duterte’s attendance at the Quad Committee hearings on the Department of Education’s alleged misuse of funds,” Balbedina explained.

Conducted with assistance from UST data journalism instructor Nathaniel Melican, the investigation also uncovered signs of fraudulent account creation. Many of the suspended Chinese-linked accounts used stock images, AI-generated profile pictures, or explicit content to mask their identities.

“If only one person does this, it would be easier to dismiss. But if you look at it, there really is a network of accounts on X that exhibit the same pattern of activity,” Melican told DAILY TRIBUNE.

He emphasized that the evidence strongly suggests foreign interference. The project, which began in late 2024, is still ongoing, with continued monitoring of the network’s activities.

He emphasized that the evidence strongly suggests foreign interference. The project, which began in late 2024, remains ongoing, with researchers continuing to monitor the network’s activities.

Another significant revelation was the network’s strategic recycling of old controversies, such as the debunked “polvoron video” that falsely depicted Marcos Jr. allegedly sniffing what appeared to be cocaine.

However, during a joint press conference on 23 July 2024, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed through video spectral analysis that key anatomical differences disproved the claim that the man in the video was President Marcos.

The investigation found that these disinformation campaigns are often timed to coincide with national controversies and key political events, such as the signing of the Maritime Zones Law and Baselines Law or moments when Duterte faces negative publicity.

“We analyzed everything — from timestamps to post captions and content. This allowed us to generate key observations included in our report,” Melican explained.

Fake news on the country's WPS efforts

Beyond targeting the president, the disinformation network also spread anti-US rhetoric, attempting to frame the Philippines’ sovereignty efforts in the West Philippine Sea as part of a US-led “proxy war.” Balbedina noted that these accounts were highly reactive to national developments, frequently pushing narratives detrimental to the Philippines.

Following the report’s release, Melican observed that a separate network supporting Marcos amplified their findings — potentially as part of a coordinated effort to frame the investigation in favor of the president. However, he clarified that there were no signs of foreign influence in this activity so far.

“We believe that this is a specific type of influence operation. We see signs, entities outside the Philippines. A preponderance of evidence suggests a strong probability of foreign interference in this instance,” he said.

Meanwhile, Salvosa urged Congress to reassess content moderation policies on social media platforms, particularly Facebook’s transition from third-party fact-checking to a community notes model similar to X’s.

Despite the numerous revelations, Melican emphasized that the investigation remains a work in progress.

“This may not be the entire picture — just a piece of a much larger operation,” he concluded.