InfinitUs Marketing Solutions Inc. firmly rejects allegations linking it to the Chinese Embassy in a supposed troll-hiring scheme aimed at pushing pro-China narratives.
In a bold statement on Friday, the PR firm dismissed Senator Francis Tolentino’s claims as “baseless accusations.” These claims surfaced during a Senate probe into submersible drones and alleged Chinese espionage targeting Philippine maritime zones.
“We categorically deny having any agreement with the Chinese Embassy—or any foreign government—for troll operations, disinformation, or illicit digital activity,” InfinitUs declared.
The company also discredited the controversial service agreement shown by Tolentino, calling it “unauthenticated, unsigned, and completely unfamiliar” to them. They labeled the document “a forgery crafted to fit a political narrative.”
Though rejecting the service agreement, InfinitUs acknowledged that a check mentioned by Tolentino is genuine. The P930,000 check from Bank of China Manila, dated September 2023, was payment for legal services rendered.
“InfinitUs lawfully provides services to a range of clients, including diplomatic institutions. Payment for such services complies with Philippine banking, tax, anti-money laundering, and corporate laws,” the company explained.
Behind the scenes, the firm expressed alarm over the “unauthorized public exposure” of their financial records. They warned this act may violate banking secrecy, financial regulations, and data privacy laws. InfinitUs is now weighing possible legal action.
Defending their reputation further, the firm emphatically denied any role as trolls. “We are professionals. Our firm does not, and will never, engage in trolling, online harassment, or deception,” they asserted. They promised to uphold “transparent, ethical, and data-driven communications.”
InfinitUs condemned the branding of their work as troll operations as “false, defamatory, and dangerous” for their employees and clients.
Senator Tolentino’s accusations ran deeper. He revealed an InfinitUs report boasting about “hundreds of fake social media accounts” managed via fictitious personas posing as students, businessmen, and even members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“So ibig sabihin po ‘yung lumalabas sa Facebook ay di totoong tao, ito po ay troll…kaya lang ang ating mga kababayan ay nalilinlang,” the senator said, highlighting the deceptive nature of these accounts.
The report allegedly claimed these fake accounts engaged 50,000 real people, who became “entangled in their web of deceit.”
“Hindi po ito normal public relations, hindi po ito normal PR campaign. Ang ginagawa po is to openly provide information and convey the policies of the Chinese government,” Tolentino stressed.
He accused the Chinese Embassy’s payment as financing a “troll farm” — a covert disinformation and influence operation aimed at undermining the Philippine government and its people.
Further fueling the controversy, Securities and Exchange Commission documents revealed that two Chinese nationals, Min Li and Pin Li, were among the incorporators of InfinitUs Marketing Solutions. Filipino nationals Ruby Benig Gestiada, Christine Bergantinos Li, and Myka Isabel Basco were also listed as incorporators.
As the investigation unfolds, the nation watches closely. Is this merely a PR firm caught in political crossfire, or is there a hidden web of digital deception unraveling beneath the surface? The answers may reshape how we see influence in the age of social media.