THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday, May 10, 2025, received a verified complaint which sought an investigation into what was described as “China-funded” digital disinformation operations meant to boost candidates endorsed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in the 2025 midterm elections.
The complaint, filed by Dillan Mangilit, a registered voter, names the following 15 candidates as alleged beneficiaries of coordinated digital propaganda and suspected foreign-backed online influence operations: Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Rodrigo Duterte II, Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, Sebastian Zimmerman Duterte, Philip “Ipe” Salvador, Doc Marites Mata, Jimmy Bondoc, Vic Rodriguez, Bong Go, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Raul Lambino, Jayvee Hinlo, Rodante Marcoleta, Apollo Quiboloy and Omar Vincent Duterte.
Automated accounts
The complaint alleges that the candidates listed received an undue advantage due to the amplification of their campaign content by automated social media accounts. These accounts are believed to be coming from or funded by foreign actors. The complaint came with forensics logs and a bot activity report which showed synchronized digital behavior that looked to simulate support or otherwise manipulate election-related discussions or other forms of discourse.
The complaint argues such conduct violates the Fair Election Act — as artificial boosting of posts can alter the public narrative and undermine fair access to information. It also argued towards a violation of Section 261 (z)(8) of the Omnibus Election Code which bars candidates from receiving foreign political contributions.
The complaint comes after an April investigation by analytics firm Cyabra which found that roughly a third of the online defense of Duterte over his International Criminal Court case was from fake or automated/bot profiles.
Cyabra said the fakes were responsible for more than 1,300 posts generating more than 7,000 engagements, including likes, comments and shares, potentially reaching more than 11.8 million views.
That same account group or digital infrastructure is said to be amplifying Duterte-aligned bets.
Troll farms
The complaint also comes after Sen. Francis Tolentino accused troll farms linked to China’s embassy in Manila of conducting coordinated propaganda operations, prompting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to seek a probe into possible foreign actor-enabled election interference.
The complaint asked the Comelec to validate the evidence, investigate the campaign activities of the respondents, and pursue administrative or criminal proceedings if and where warranted. In addition, it also recommended referring the case to the Department of Justice, the cybercrime division of the Philippine National Police and the Department of Information and Communications Technology so further investigations can be done into any possible potential cybercrimes.
The complainant added that while Philippine law has not yet defined foreign election interference under a standalone statute, such would be already prohibited under constitutional guarantees of sovereignty, existing election laws, and international norms.
The complaint to the Comelec warned that a failure to decisively curb foreign influence in the electoral process would threaten the legitimacy of Philippine democracy by undermining the integrity of the 2025 elections. / Rappler
[This story is republished with permission from Rappler as part of a content-sharing partnership for the 2025 midterm elections in the Philippines.]