IMSI denials fall flat: Tolentino cites more documents linked to Chinese embassy-funded troll operations

PHILIPPINES, May 6 - Press Release
May 5, 2025

IMSI denials fall flat: Tolentino cites more documents linked to Chinese embassy-funded troll operations

Senate Majority Leader Francis 'Tol' Tolentino today said that the denials issued by InfinitUs Marketing Solutions, Inc. (IMSI) "fell flat" at today's Senate inquiry when ranged against additional documents exposing more details about its troll farm operations funded by the Chinese embassy.

Tolentino said that the claim made by IMSI co-founder Paul (aka 'Pin') Li denying knowledge of the social media issue management operations contract between the PR firm and the Chinese embassy was contradicted by documents obtained by the committee, which were shown during the hearing.

Among these is a document written in Chinese that outlined the scope of work of the "project publicity guidance for the Chinese embassy" that amounted to P930,000.

Tolentino said that the amount in the document matches the P930,000 payment indicated on the check he earlier exposed - which the embassy issued to IMSI on September 11, 2023.

The senator expressed disbelief with Li's claim that the said check, which the IMSI official acknowledged as authentic, was used to purchase COVID medical paraphernalia for a June 2023 event for the Chinese embassy.

Tolentino said this was highly doubtful, noting that the pandemic had long been declared over during the said period.

The senator also lamented the non-appearance of IMSI Filipino co-founder Myka Poynton, who could have personally attested to the signature bearing her name in the service contract that was also signed by the Chinese Embassy's media and public relations director, Wu Chenqi.

Asked by the media if he would press to get the testimony of the other Filipino incorporator of IMSI, Christine Li, Tolentino said that he respected the latter's sensitive condition, considering that she is undergoing cancer treatment, as attested by her husband Paul.

Despite Li's repeated denials throughout the hearing, Tolentino asserted that IMSI's troll farm operations are actively continuing, as evidenced by a notice seen posted on the PR firm's Makati office hiring TikTok influencers - which Li also acknowledged as authentic.

"Yung nakapaskil sa office nila, nagre-recruit pa sila ng keyboard warriors eh. [Quoting] 'Applicants must have at least 200 followers sa TikTok' bago tanggapin," he noted, referring to a photograph of the notice that was taken a few days ago.

Finally, Tolentino showed travel documents enumerating the frequent foreign trips of IMSI officials to China, including Li himself and Filipino incorporators Poynton and Ruby B. Gestiada - some of which date back to 2019. Li claimed that the travels were mostly personal trips.