Senator Francis Tolentino said officials and partners of public relations firm InfinitUs Marketing Solutions Inc., may potentially face charges of treason and espionage for being involved in “troll farm” activities in the country.

Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones, pointed this out during a briefing after the continuation of the panel’s investigation into foreign interference and espionage and issues related to the West Philippine Sea.

During the hearing, the senator exposed that the company indeed entered into a service contract with the Chinese embassy with the end goal of influencing public opinion to advance China’s interest.

Among the incorporators of InfinitUs, based on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) document shown by Tolentino, include Paul Li, also known as “Pin Li”—owner/founder of the company, and a Chinese national; Ruby Benig Gestiada, a Filipino; Christine Bergantinos Li, Filipino and wife of Paul Li; Min Li, another Chinese national; Myka Isabel Basco, also a Filipino.

Based on the alleged contract, which Tolentino also showed in a PowerPoint presentation, InfinitUs is in charge of conducting public opinion guidance on social media particularly on Twitter and Facebook; they are also in charge of ensuring the smooth flow of communication; and conduct communication responses with the crisis response team and the embassy in real time to ensure the flow of information.

The contract, Tolentino alleged, also ensures that InfinitUs will provide the Chinese embassy reports on project implementation and recommendations for improvement.

Part of the campaign objectives or goals of the Embassy was to help change the over-all negative perception of Filipinos about the Chinese and China; educate the Filipinos that Chinese culture is so much ingrained in Filipino culture and that without it, there would be no Filipino identity.

The Chinese embassy also allegedly wanted to ensure that part of the contract would include “inculcating” to Filipinos that China and the Chinese people is a big part of its growing economy and culture and that without them the Philippines “would still be a backwater country.”

Part of their goal was also to remind Filipinos that China has been investing and donating heavily in the country since the 20th century “until this very moment.”

Tolentino also disclosed that InfinitUs hired “keyboard warriors” with an age requirement of 18 years old and above, has minimum of 200 followers on social media, already had streaming record on TikTok that can be related to gaming/singing/dancing or other contents, and willing to go live everyday.

In one of its operations, the “army” was tasked to propagate the special video explainer about the cons of the Typhon missile system that the United States had deployed to the Philippines.

The “Team”, according to Tolentino, also did massive negative “comment” operations on the official Facebook page of Surigao Rep. Ace Barbers over his negative statements about China regarding the issue on the West Philippine Sea.

Tolentino also said InfinitUs’ “Team” also spread through social media excerpts from the blog of a Housha Moonlight official about the dangers of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s administration and the history of the Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship.

During the hearing, Paul Li denied having any knowledge about the terms of the contract. But Li confirmed that the check, which amounted to P930,000, issued by the Chinese Embassy to InfinitUs, was real.

Li told the panel that the check was supposed to be cover payment for antigen, face mask, and other COVID-19 supplies. But Tolentino noted that the invoice presented by Li was dated 2023.

“We’re already COVID free in 2023! The World Health Organization (WHO) had said so. We were already open. He is lying, he’s caught lying,” Tolentino stressed.

Tolentino said that based on the documents they were able to obtain, it was clear that InfinitUs collaborated with China to manipulate the country’s political system.

And though it was done online, these are still considered an attempt to undermine the country’s sovereignty and is considered a “highest form of betrayal,” according to the lawmaker.

“They can be charged with treason, and then maybe with the appropriate government agency, the SEC can ask for the cancellation of the articles of incorporation, etc.” the reelectionist senator said.

“Because you are collaborating with a foreign government to put down our system, and it’s ongoing. Even though it is done in digital space, it undermines the sovereignty of our country,  our institutions as well as society itself,” he added.

“It is the highest form of betrayal towards the flag,” the senator pointed out.

Even though Paul Li insisted that he has been in the country for more than 20 years, Tolentino noted he was still traveling to Beijing on a monthly basis.

“That is the country that he still loves…he’s been an accomplice, or more than an accomplice. So, he’s functioning as a Filipino, part of a Filipino corporation here. So, (it’s) espionage probably,” he further said.