IMINUNGKAHI ng isang lider ng Kamara de Representantes na humingi ng tulong ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno sa diplomatic corps, upang mapigilan ang umano’y pakikialam ng China sa senatorial election sa Mayo.

“Perhaps we may need the help of diplomatic channels in this case after the Senate uncovered the involvement of Beijing in trying to interfere with our own elections, in the hopes of getting a favorable policy in our sovereign country,” ani Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, na isa ring House Deputy Majority Leader.

“I don’t think we can ever countenance such practice of hiring our own local companies and our own people to do damage against our very own interests. If China can do this to us, I think it would be an understatement that they can also do this to others,” babala pa ni Acidre, ang chairman ng House committee on overseas workers affairs.

“China, after all, is not a global bully just for nothing,” giit pa ng mambabatas.

“At the end of the day, and most especially on the crucial election day itself, everything will still boil down to Team Pilipinas versus Team China,” ayon pa sa mambabatas.

“Simply put, patriots will be pitted against traitors to our national flag come election day. So, we’re calling on our electorate – the 67 million or so Filipino voters – to please vote only for those candidates who will not sell our national patrimony to any colonial power,” dagdag pa nito.

Kinumpirma naman ni Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general ng National Security Council (NSC), sa Senate committee na pinamumunuan ni Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino na totoong kinontrata ng Chinese Embassy sa Maynila ang isang local Public Relations (PR) firm upang impluwensyahan ang resulta ng eleksyon.

Inamin niya sa harap ng komite ni Tolentino na “there are indications that information operations being done in the Philippines are Chinese state-sponsored and are actually interfering in the forthcoming elections.”

“There are third party individuals and proxies based in the Philippines that are used to amplify the narratives coming out of Beijing,” ayon sa opisyal ng NSC, na tumangging pangalanan ngunit umamin na maraming kampanya ng mga kandidato sa local at national level ang pinopondohan ng China.

“It’s good that we weren’t asked this question earlier during the hearing. If we were asked that question, we would have asked for an executive session,” ani Malaya sa isang panayam matapos ang pagdinig, na kinumpirma ang mga haka-hakang may mga kandidatong “funded by China.”

“As you have seen earlier, a cheque was even presented before the committee. So, we have seen that. That’s one of the tricks of the trade. So, it’s perfectly possible that money is involved here,” dagdag niya, at sinabing ang ganitong mga galaw ay umabot na sa nakababahalang antas para sa kanila.

Ibinunyag din ni Tolentino, na naghahangad muling mahalal sa Mayo 12, na ang PR firm, na nadiskubreng kinontrata at binayaran ng Chinese Embassy ng P930,000 upang magsagawa ng digital trolls at espiya, ay may tanggapan sa financial hub ng Makati City.

“China’s government through its embassy is paying Filipino troll farms to oppose and smear the Marcos administration,” aniya. “Friends treat friends. It is a mockery of the Chinese embassy’s talk of friendship. We cannot turn a blind eye on this.”

Ibinunyag rin ng mambabatas ng administrasyon na kasalukuyang sangkot ang Beijing sa tinatawag na MIFI, o “Malign, Influence, Foreign Interference” sa bansa, at nagsasagawa ng mga hacking operation sa ilang mahahalagang pasilidad ng pamahalaan.

“Their main purpose is not only to influence the discussion, but to directly attack the government and pursue their vision of making the Philippines a province of China. All of these hackings, these are proof that they are intervening directly to our national conversation,” pahayag ni Tolentino.

Para naman kay National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Deputy Director General Francisco Ashley Acedillo, ang layunin ng information warfare ng China ay “influence public opinion and political discourse on social media.”

“We believe Chinese organs are amplifying a divisive political discourse in our country,” giit pa ng opisyal.