Photo credit: Congress PH

It’s Team Pilipinas versus Team China — at least that’s how one House leader sees the upcoming May 12 senatorial elections.

In a strongly worded statement, House Deputy Majority Leader Jude Acidre raised the alarm over Beijing’s alleged attempts to interfere with our national elections. And he’s now saying — maybe it’s time to call for backup from the diplomatic community.

“Perhaps we may need the help of diplomatic channels in this case,” said Acidre, who also chairs the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs. “The Senate has uncovered China’s involvement in trying to influence our elections to gain favorable policies here — and that’s just something we cannot let slide.”

Acidre expressed deep concern over reports that Chinese-funded campaigns are being run by local PR firms and even Filipino personnel. “If China can do this to us, imagine what they can do to others. We can’t allow this kind of manipulation from a foreign power — especially one that has repeatedly shown zero respect for our sovereignty.”

He didn’t hold back. “China is not called a global bully for nothing,” he added bluntly.

But more than just rhetoric, Acidre had a message for every Filipino voter: think about who you’re voting for. “This isn’t just about candidates anymore. It’s about choosing patriots over traitors,” he said. “Let’s not sell our country’s future to those who are willing to trade it for foreign support.”

Backing up Acidre’s warning, Jonathan Malaya of the National Security Council revealed to a Senate committee that the Chinese Embassy indeed hired a local PR firm — Infinitus — and allegedly paid them P930,000 to run a disinformation campaign targeting the May 12 elections.

Yes, you read that right. A PR firm in Makati, reportedly paid by Beijing, allegedly helped fuel online troll operations to sway public opinion — and worse, to hit at the current administration.

Malaya said this is no longer just suspicion. “There are signs that the operations are state-sponsored by China,” he admitted. “And there’s money involved — we’ve seen cheques, we’ve seen the movements. It’s alarming.”

Senator Francis Tolentino, who chairs the Senate investigation, didn’t sugarcoat things either. “Friends treat friends. What the Chinese Embassy is doing is a mockery of friendship,” he said. Tolentino, who’s also running in the elections, revealed even more disturbing findings: China’s been meddling not just through social media manipulation, but also via cyberattacks on government agencies.

And apparently, it’s all part of what officials are now calling “MIFI” — Malign, Influence, Foreign Interference.

“They’re not just trying to sway the conversation. They’re trying to directly sabotage our institutions, spread division, and push a narrative where the Philippines ends up as a province of China,” Tolentino warned.

The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency agrees — Deputy Director General Francisco Ashley Acedillo said China’s goal is to manipulate public opinion and political discourse on social media, turning Filipinos against each other.

So now, the big question is: how do we fight back?

For Acidre, the answer is two-fold — we use diplomatic channels to call out the interference, and we rely on the Filipino people to choose leaders who’ll stand for the country.

“On election day,” he said, “it’s all about choosing between loyalty to the flag or selling out to foreign interests.”

The choice, he says, is in the hands of the 67 million Filipino voters.