As the Philippines heads into another heated election cycle, the proliferation of fake news is already shaping political narratives and poisoning the public discourse. But while much attention is given to the content itself — clickbait headlines, manipulated videos, coordinated troll attacks — the more urgent question is being ignored: who is paying for all of this?

Fake news doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. Behind every viral lie or social media smear campaign is a deliberate and well-funded operation. Troll farms, bot networks, and disinformation campaigns have become tools of political strategy. These aren’t run by random netizens with too much time on their hands; they are funded by politicians, campaign donors, and in some cases, even public officials using government resources. If we are to seriously confront the problem, we must follow the money.

The upcoming elections are already seeing early signs of coordinated disinformation efforts. Historical revisionism, character assassinations, and the vilification of critics are becoming normalized online. The machinery of fake news is being primed not just to win votes — but to distort facts, distract the public, and drown out genuine democratic debate. This is not just dirty politics — it is a direct assault on truth and accountability.

The sad reality is that many Filipinos are being manipulated in real time by powerful figures who are financing these operations from behind the scenes. The use of public relations budgets, “black ops” social media teams, and troll armies is no longer a secret — it’s a strategy. And until we start identifying and holding accountable the people who bankroll these efforts, the cycle will continue.

Our laws on cybercrime, election spending, and public accountability must evolve to meet this challenge. The Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Cybercrime Division of the NBI, and civil society watchdogs must coordinate not just to take down fake accounts, but to trace the financial pipelines fueling them.

Campaign donors who finance troll farms should be unmasked. Politicians found to be running black propaganda machines must face real consequences — disqualification, prosecution, and public exposure.

In this election season, truth is on the ballot. But defending it is not the sole burden of journalists and fact-checkers. Institutions must act. Voters must demand better. And we must all start asking the most important question: “sino ang nagpapakain sa mga troll?”

Democracy depends on informed choices. And informed choices are only possible when truth is allowed to speak louder than lies. If we truly care about the future of our country, we must start holding accountable those who fund systematic deception.