Former senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan on Saturday denounced what he called an “orchestrated” and “well-funded” disinformation campaign targeting him after a food blog video showed him eating rice and carabao milk off a pot cover.

In a Facebook Live, Pangilinan said the attacks were not from organic users but from a coordinated effort to damage his campaign. "We have been subjected to trolling and bashing in an organized and orchestrated manner. It’s clear these are not organic online audiences but most likely part of a well-funded machinery meant to discredit our campaign,” he said in Filipino.

He urged fellow candidates to campaign fairly. “Spend on promoting your own platforms and track record, not on tearing others down,” he added.

The video, shot during a boodle fight in Pampanga with food vlogger Romeo Catacutan, went viral and drew ridicule. Pangilinan noted it was a nostalgic moment tied to his Kapampangan roots, and questioned why such a simple act became an issue.

He said identical posts and reactions from accounts with Vietnamese-sounding names pointed to a deliberate smear campaign, and urged the Commission on Elections to work with tech platforms like Meta and TikTok to combat election-related disinformation.

“To our supporters: don’t attack. Share the truth about our work and advocacies,” he said.