Chinese troll accounts defend Dutertes

MANILA, Philippines - A network of X accounts with Chinese names has been discovered by an independent news organization that deliberately disseminate false information and incite conflict among Filipinos, especially when the Duterte family is criticized.

PressOnePH multimedia editor Niceforo Balbedina disclosed during a House of Representatives tri-committee hearing that 107 accounts, which originated in Spanish-speaking countries, had been rebranded with Chinese names and were amplifying false information.

In addition to promoting stories that portrayed Vice President Sara Duterte in a positive light, these accounts mostly concentrated on the West Philippine Sea conflict, attempts to undermine Philippine Coast Guard officials, and attacks of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Subsequent research connected these accounts to China Daily's Media Unlocked, a Chinese publication that has been accused of disseminating false material through artificial intelligence.

Many of these profiles, Balbedina said, lacked real interactions, which raised questions about whether they were a part of a coordinated network.

Their activity pattern frequently mirrored significant political events, especially when members of the Duterte family were linked to drug-related hearings or inquiries into the purported misappropriation of public funds.

Only 24 of the 107 accounts that were found were banned, despite X (formerly twitter) taking action against some of them.