Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates urged voters to choose leaders who are pro-Filipino as they warned of growing Chinese efforts to influence the 2025 midterm elections.
Former Senate president Tito Sotto said China’s supposed interference in the upcoming elections was “too obvious” to ignore.
“It’s too obvious that China is indeed interfering. Isn’t it even in the election, based on the reports of the National Security Council and NICA (National Intelligence Coordinating Agency)?” Sotto told reporters over the weekend.
If elected, the former senator said he would oppose any attempt to revive policies that might serve foreign interests.
“I will make sure that the Philippine Maritime Zones Act is not repealed. That is the will of the pro-China senators. I will never allow it to be repealed,” he said.
Sotto was referring to Republic Act 12064, or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, which identified the country’s maritime zones, such as its internal waters, archipelagic waters.
Former senator Ping Lacson meanwhile said the country’s anti-espionage law, Commonwealth Act 616 of 1941, was outdated and no longer responsive to modern threats.
“It’s about time we amend or repeal the oldest legislation to be attuned to the times,” Lacson said. “Back then, there was no social media, no modern information technology.”
During a Senate hearing led by Sen. Francis Tolentino — an Alyansa candidate —the NSC said it has identified candidates who were allegedly helping spread narratives from China to influence the midterm elections.
“There are indications that information operations are being conducted that are Chinese state sponsored in the Philippines and are actually interfering in the forthcoming elections,” NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said.
Meanwhile, former Interior secretary Benhur Abalos warned that election interference happened not only through spying, but also through information warfare and questionable funding.
“The Philippines is for the Filipinos. No foreigner can interfere in the elections here,” Abalos said.
“They want to influence and control our country. No Filipino should agree to this,” he added.
Abalos said the Commission on Elections and the Department of Information and Communications Technology must act quickly, noting that troll accounts and artificially amplified content can mislead the public into thinking certain views represent the majority.
“It’s a form of mind conditioning. That’s how you control an election,” Abalos warned. “Second, the funding. This funding should be traceable because it is different from foreign governments. Where does it come from?”
ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo also warned voters against electing candidates who remained silent on Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea or foreign influence operations.
“On May 12, it is in our hands to decide what kind of Senate, what kind of Congress, what kind of Mayor, what kind of Governor, Vice Mayor, Board Member, that we want,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo said all 11 candidates of Alyansa are firmly opposed to Chinese interference, unlike others who have remained silent.