Tolentino: Disinformation campaign vs Comelec highlights urgency to protect PH's 'digital sovereignty' vs foreign interference

PHILIPPINES, May 6 - Press Release
May 6, 2025

Tolentino: Disinformation campaign vs Comelec highlights urgency to protect PH's 'digital sovereignty' vs foreign interference

The recent series of disinformation campaigns in social media against the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) amid the country's preparations for the May 12 midterm polls underscores the urgency for the Philippines to protect its digital space from foreign interference.

This was stressed by Senate Majority Leader Francis 'Tol' Tolentino during the Senate inquiry on Chinese espionage and interference in the country's internal affairs.

Chairman George Erwin Garcia shared at the hearing that the COMELEC has been constantly targeted by disinformation operations in social media that seek to undermine the public's trust in the integrity of the coming elections.

Tolentino said that many of these attacks have been linked to troll operations based in foreign countries, mainly China. The attacks have also coincided with the arrest of a Chinese national caught using an IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) catcher near the Comelec premises last week.

The senator said that protecting the country's 'digital sovereignty' is incorporated in his proposal, Senate Bill No. 2951, or the Counter Foreign Interference Act.

He explained that the bill expands the scope of national security to include our digital space. "It is about time that we really involve national sovereignty side by side with our digital sovereignty," the senator stressed.

"Pinapatrolya natin ang karagatan, Coast Guard Navy, PNP Maritime Group. Pero is there a cyber patrol out there?" he asked.

Tolentino then explained the concept of digital sovereignty: "We have to bear in mind that cyber sovereignty is our right to govern our digital space. Kung pinapasok tayo ng mga ito [pro-China troll operations], hindi na natin maintindihan kung ano ang totoo at hindi [sa social media]. Nawawalan na tayo ng sovereignty doon."

Tolentino's bill guards against harmful electronic communications. It requires internet service providers to block, among others, access to electronic communications that are "prejudicial to national security and public safety."

"Foreign interference is ongoing, even though in a digital space. It undermines the sovereignty of our country, our institutions, as well as society itself," he said in a news conference.

He said that Filipinos conspiring with these operations constitutes the highest form of betrayal to one's flag - referring to the troll farm operation he exposed between InfinitUs Marketing Solutions, Inc. (IMSI) and the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

"Marami pang mga katulad ng InfinitUs out there na hindi pa natin nakikilala. Marami pang drones ngayon na nasa ilalim ng ating karagatan na hindi pa nahuhuli. Marami pang mga IMSI catchers na gumagala sa ating paligid," the senator warned.

Citing the recent arrests of suspected Chinese spies, the senator remarked: "We'd like to thank our intelligence community sa pagkasawata sa dayuhang paniniktik. Subalit kulang pa rin. Kinakailangan natin talaga ang tulong ng ating mga kababayan, at palakasin pa ang ating batas."

Tolentino concluded with an appeal to the public: "Bilang pagmamahal sa Pilipinas, tumulong po tayo sa cyber security. Tumulong po tayo na kontrahin ang mga espiya, dahil pinapahina n'yan ang ating lipunan."