Former senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan issued a sharp warning to the public against what he called “foreign-funded and foreign-instigated” troll operations weaponizing fake news to manipulate Filipino voters and destabilize the democratic process.
“May mga dayuhang puwersang gustong impluwensyahan ang ating halalan at agawin ang ating mga karagatan,” Pangilinan said.
This comes in the wake of a bombshell Senate hearing that revealed documents linking the Chinese Embassy in Manila to a covert online disinformation campaign in the Philippines. A local marketing firm, Infinitus Marketing Solutions, was allegedly paid ₱930,000 to run troll farms spreading disinformation, pushing pro-China propaganda, and attacking public officials.
“Walang kulay ang katotohanan. Pero may kulay ang kasinungalingan — at ang kulay nito ay pula.”
“Walang kulay ang katotohanan. Pero may kulay ang kasinungalingan — at ang kulay nito ay pula,” he said, referring to China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea and its alleged disinformation operations.
In his speech during a campaign rally in Angeles City, Pampanga, Pangilinan called out the “digital deception (spreading of lies in the digital age)” happening on social media and warned Filipinos to remain vigilant against an agenda to take away the country’s resource-rich waters.
He backed fellow Cabalen, Senior Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzales Jr., in the call to reject fake news and be critical of online information, especially with midterm elections fast approaching.
“Agree ako sa ating cabalen na si Senior Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzalez Jr. Pinaalala ni Cong. Dong sa mga botanteng Pilipino na maging mapanuri at ‘wag magpabiktima sa fake news,” Pangilinan said.
Earlier this week, Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. and Quezon 2nd district Rep. David Suarez said that fake social media accounts are being weaponized to manipulate the online discourse ahead of the May 2025 midterm elections.
This was after a recent Reuters report confirmed that roughly one-third of social media chatter surrounding the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte came from fake accounts — a chilling sign that troll networks are once again in full force.
“Huwag tayong magpaloob sa agenda ng mga nais sakupin ang ating West Philippine Sea.”
Pangilinan, himself a victim of fake news and disinformation, asked voters not to fall into these traps and to teach others how to spot these fake accounts as well.
“Huwag po tayong magpalinlang. Kumbinsihin natin ang iba na huwag magpalinlang lalo’t lalo na may mga foreign-funded and foreign-instigated, galing sa ibang bansa na gustong impluwensyahan ang ating pulitika,” he said.
Pangilinan also reminded voters that these troll operations are not merely online noise — they are part of a broader agenda to confuse, divide, and weaken the country.
“Huwag tayong magpaloob sa agenda ng mga nais sakupin ang ating West Philippine Sea,” he said, referring to the resource-rich waters on the western side of the country that China claims as its territory.
Pangilinan was recently a subject of social media trolling, when one of his food blogs was spliced to make it seem like he ate banana leaves instead of mustasa. Another video also made fun of him eating rice and carabao milk on a pot lid.
He called the attacks “well-orchestrated” and “well-funded,” pointing out that many of the accounts that left laughing emojis on the videos were Vietnamese-sounding.
The spliced and heavily-edited videos that circulated on social media were also uploaded at the same time, which meant comments and reactions were not organic.