Photo credit: Congress PH

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez isn’t holding back—he wants criminal charges, and he wants them now.

Rodriguez is calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to go after the officers and board members of Infinitus Marketing Solutions, a Makati-based company accused of running “troll farms” for China. But this isn’t just about spammy comments online. It’s about allegedly promoting Beijing’s narrative on the West Philippine Sea against the interests of the Philippines.

“This is treason,” Rodriguez said bluntly. “Any Filipino who betrays their country or sides with a foreign power in matters of national sovereignty must be held accountable.”

This all came to light during a Senate hearing on Thursday, when Sen. Francis Tolentino, who chairs the Senate Special Maritime Committee, dropped the bombshell: China supposedly contracted Infinitus to deploy local keyboard warriors who would make Beijing look good, especially amid the escalating tension in the West Philippine Sea.

Rodriguez isn’t just going after the Filipinos allegedly involved—he also wants the Chinese embassy officials who made the deal to be charged as “principals by direct participation.” On top of that, he’s pushing for the Department of Foreign Affairs to sanction those Chinese diplomats immediately.

So who exactly is behind Infinitus? According to an internet search, the company’s co-founders are Paul Li and Myka Basco-Poynton, with Nestor Arciaga listed as its marketing officer and social media manager.

Tolentino said during the hearing, “China’s government through its embassy is paying Filipino troll farms to oppose and smear the administration.” And that’s not just hearsay—National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya even revealed they’ve found “indicators” that China may be funding certain candidates in the upcoming May 12 elections.

Rodriguez is now pushing for the Senate to summon Infinitus’ key officers to answer some hard questions. Specifically, he wants to know: Who are these influencers or online personalities being paid to push China’s narrative?

He pointed to a recent House hearing where an official from Meta (Facebook’s parent company) said they had to fact-check a false claim by a blogger. The post accused the Philippine Coast Guard of using water cannons against China’s Coast Guard—something that never happened. Meta had to correct the record.

It’s a troubling development that touches on national security, online misinformation, and even election interference. As Rodriguez puts it, this isn’t just about social media posts—“It’s about defending our sovereignty.”

Let’s see how this one plays out. But one thing’s clear: the battle for the West Philippine Sea isn’t just happening in the ocean—it’s happening online, too.