Shun manipulation amid maritime spat
AN academic study is putting a new spin on the social media battlefield, tracing an alleged Chinese-linked network pushing anti-Philippine and pro-Duterte narratives online. Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro cited the Daily Tribune report based on the University of Santo Tomas research.
PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of RTVM
Malacañang on Wednesday reminded Filipino politicians to keep their allegiance to the country and not be influenced by other nations, particularly China.
This followed Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro’s revelation that some Filipino politicians may have been receiving support from China to amplify its operations in the West Philippine Sea.
“We have one nation, which was reiterated by our President in his SoNA. We should not allow divisions in opinion or suggestions when it comes to defending our rights in the West Philippine Sea or any other part of our country. We must stand up for all the interests of the nation and of the Filipino people,” Palace Press Officer, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro, said in a Palace briefing.
She stressed that politicians should not allow themselves to be used by other nations just to remain in power.
“Politicians should not allow themselves to be used by other countries simply to remain in power. It is dangerous for our leaders to be beholden to foreign interests because politicians controlled by other countries may promote a different narrative and advance interests that are not necessarily those of the Philippines,” she added.
Castro then showed a DAILY TRIBUNE report, quoting Niceforo Balbedina III, a master’s student in journalism at the University of Santo Tomas and a multimedia editor at PressOne.PH, who uncovered a Chinese-linked disinformation network actively spreading pro-Duterte and anti-Marcos narratives on “X” (formerly Twitter).
“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,” the February 2025 DAILY TRIBUNE report said.