Senator Robin Padilla presented on Tuesday, Nov. 25, an unverified audio recording allegedly made to sound like a conversation between a certain Presidential Communications Office (PCO) official and an unidentified individual linked to troll farms, which he said surfaced online and required the agency’s scrutiny.

He played the audio clip during the Senate’s plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the PCO sponsored by Senator Loren Legarda. Padilla began by asking whether the PCO believes the government should maintain trolls.

Legarda responded that the agency has told her it does not employ trolls or use public funds for fake news, saying she could only rely on what had been officially transmitted to her.

“I am told they do not have trolls, I am told they do not use government funds for fake news and trolls. They’re all organic supporters,” she said, adding that if evidence surfaced, she would “be happy to call them out.”

Padilla then introduced an audio clip that he said had surfaced online. He asked that the recording be played to determine whether it was genuine, artificial intelligence–generated, or fabricated by individuals seeking to smear others.

Before the audio was played, Padilla noted that he had filed an Anti-Troll Farm Act, citing Legarda’s earlier statement that the government should not condone troll farms.

As the recording played, Padilla clarified that he was not claiming it came from the PCO itself. He said the circulating claim was that the voice belonged to a PCO undersecretary.

"Ang sabi po nila ito daw po ay voice recording ni Usec. Claire Castro na siya po ay may mga kausap na vlogger (They said this is supposedly a voice recording of Usec. Claire Castro speaking with vloggers)," Padilla said.

Legarda replied that she had “no idea” and even asked Padilla to state “on the record” who the clip was supposed to feature. She maintained she could not ascertain the authenticity of the recording and later echoed the suggestion to seek expert validation.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III intervened, urging caution in publicly naming individuals without certainty. He recommended that the supposed audio be submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for voice-print analysis.

"Instead of naming somebody that we're not sure of, why don’t we, you send it to the NBI for a voice print. Imbes na nanghuhula tayo, nagbabanggit tayo ng pangalan, we are mentioning the name of Atty. Castro. It's unfair for her," Sotto said.

Legarda supported the recommendation, saying she was not in a position to determine whether the audio was real or AI-generated.

Padilla reiterated that he merely wanted the PCO to clarify if they had any knowledge of the alleged recording, emphasizing that the agency could answer yes or no.

The senator also played a separate video clip, which he said showed President Marcos claiming to have trolls. Sotto clarified that the President had made the remark in jest, explaining that it was said in response to being criticized by trolls at the time.

Legarda again maintained that validation should be left to experts, while Padilla said the material could be investigated further if needed.

Meanwhile, Padilla underscored the vital role of the PCO as the government’s primary communications arm, emphasizing its responsibility to deliver accurate and balanced information to prevent public confusion. He also asked PCO officials whether they would support a proposed measure seeking to criminalize troll farms and disinformation.

Legarda, said she would like to thoroughly study the bill and is open to co-author the measure as it aligns with efforts to curb fake news. She added that the PCO would support such legislation.