Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an investigation into allegations of foreign interference in the May 2025 midterm national and local elections after a top security official warned that Chinese government-sponsored groups may be attempting to influence the outcomes.
“This is truly alarming,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said. “We will conduct a thorough investigation so we can uncover the truth behind this.”
The order came after a National Security Council official told a Philippine Senate hearing in late April that signs of Chinese information operations had been detected.
His comments coincided with Sen. Francis Tolentino presenting what he said was evidence linking the Chinese embassy in Manila to the proliferation of “troll farm” operations in the Philippines.
Tolentino said the embassy paid a local marketing firm to run online operations and presented what he said was a copy of a check issued by the embassy as evidence.
“These troll farms were engaged not only to openly provide information and convey the policies of the Chinese government but also to act as a covert disinformation and influence operation against the Philippine government and the Filipino people,” Tolentino said.
China’s foreign ministry and its embassy in Manila denied the accusations.
The May elections include 317 congressional seats and thousands of local posts, as well as 12 spots in the 24-seat Senate, which can shape policy.
The allegations come amid strained ties and confrontations between China and the Philippines, a longtime ally of the United States, over disputed territory in the South China Sea.
Tolentino accused the Chinese government of mounting a “coordinated effort to undermine the democratic system and our way of life.”
