Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Facebook)

The Department of Justice (DOJ) ought to go after the officers and members of the board of directors of the Makati City firm allegedly contracted by China to promote its skewed narrative on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Thus, said Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez--a staunch defender of Philippine sovereignty rights at sea and elsewhere--in a statement Friday, April 25.

The legal luminary made the appeal after Senator Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Special Maritime Committee, revealed in a public hearing on Thursday that Infinitus Marketing Solutions had been engaged by China for “keyboard warriors” that would put Beijing in good light amid the Philippines-China dispute on the WPS.

“The DOJ and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) should file charges for treason and other violations of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and the National Security Act against officers and directors of Infinitus Marketing Solutions,” Rodriguez said.

“In general, these laws punish any Filipino who betrays or is disloyal to his country and who works against its national interest, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.

Charge Chinese Embassy officers, too

The former law dean said Chinese Embassy officers who contracted Infinitus should also be charged as “principals by direct participation".

“These Chinese diplomats and embassy staff should likewise be immediately sanctioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs,” he added.

An Internet search shows that a certain Paul Li is the Infinitus co-founder and managing partner, while Myka Basco-Poynton is another co-founder. Nestor Arciaga is its marketing officer and social media manager.

In the course of his committee’s hearing on Thursday, Tolentino said China has engaged the Makati-based firm for its “troll farms".

“China’s government through its embassy is paying Filipino troll farms to oppose and smear the administration,” he said.

Rodriguez urged Tolentino to summon Infinitus officers and members of its board of directors to explain the details of their engagement with China.

Senate Majority Leader Francis "Tol" Tolentino (Senate PRIB)

“I am interested in knowing the social media personalities they have engaged and paid to work against our national interest and promote China’s false narratives on the WPS,” he said.

He noted that in a recent House hearing, an official of Meta (formerly Facebook) revealed that his company has countered a false post made by a blogger who claimed that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had used water cannons in one encounter with the China Coast Guard (CCG).

After its fact-checker found that the blogger’s claim was untrue, Meta posted a clarification stating that PCG has never deployed water cannons against CCG.

In Thursday’s Senate hearing, another resource person of the Tolentino panel, National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said they have found “indicators” that China is funding certain candidates in the May 12 elections.