5th columnists in our midst

As for the hired pens, they should consider the nation’s future instead of exchanging them for 30 pieces of silver.

Where national interest is involved, Filipinos should come together and resist China’s seduction.

Senator JV Ejercito has made it clear that certain individuals are on Beijing’s payroll to influence Filipinos’ opinions. At the same time, China employs increasingly aggressive maneuvers to pursue its historical claim to the West Philippine Sea.

In his defense of the national interest amid the WPS debate, Ejercito said he was ganged up in a coordinated media attack, likely by paid hacks.

The same trolls, he said, launched social media offensives against Speaker Martin Romualdez, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson, Commodore Jay Tarriela, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and Senate President Miguel Zubiri.

He said the so-called media influencers are funded by China to spread disinformation, citing their sudden shift to a pro-Beijing position.

Sherwin E. Ona, an associate professor and former chairperson of the Department of Political Science and Development Studies at De La Salle University, identified possible factors for the Chinese campaign to spread lies.

The Philippine government has embarked on an aggressive policy of transparency to counter China’s propaganda machinery, which is vast and heavily funded and may include prominent names in local journalism.

Ona commends the transparency policy but warns its “reactive nature will only serve Beijing’s interests.”

He points out that China’s information operation is strategic, which means it is long-term, well-coordinated, and “adequately resourced.”

The goal is to achieve information domination. The campaign centers on exploiting the vulnerabilities of Filipinos, particularly their economic difficulties and political divisions, as well as internal conflicts, “to sow discord and undermine government initiatives.”

Ona suggests that the government counter China’s efforts strategically and proactively.

“For instance, the Philippine narratives must present the WPS as a sovereignty issue and part of its blue economy. Locally, this will enable the strategy to adopt a whole-of-society approach by mobilizing local governments, fisherfolk communities, and non-government organizations to be part of the issue. Also, schools can include creating and publishing digital content as part of student requirements in specific subjects,” he suggested.

An essential aspect of a counterpoint campaign to China’s disinformation is for the Philippines to present its narrative to counter China’s claim that the Philippines is a pawn of the United States in the geopolitical standoff between the West and Beijing.

Ona referred to recent evidence showing that the surge in disinformation was consistent with the increase in cyberattacks.

“These attacks targeted the data repositories of health and law enforcement agencies, among others. Similar experiences of other countries surmise that disinformation often accompanies offensive cyber capabilities (i.e., data theft, espionage, denial of services, etc.). This convergence allows the aggressor to do micro-targeting, behavior analytics, and capitalize on discontent,” he explained.

As the country with the highest internet usage in 2020 and 73 million social media users, the Philippines is in a vulnerable position for well-funded China cyber operations.

Based on a series of surveys regarding Filipinos’ confidence in it, China fared poorly as it is perceived as untrustworthy in its commitments to the country.

As for the hired pens, they should consider the nation’s future instead of exchanging them for 30 pieces of silver.

The hacks should be reminded that the erstwhile apostle Judas hung himself in shame and remorse after betraying his Master.

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