Photo credit: PCIJ

What started as a video explainer on spotting pro-China propaganda in your social media feed has quickly snowballed into a heated exchange involving journalists, Philippine officials, and the Chinese Embassy.

It all began when PCIJ contributor Regine Cabato released a video breaking down how Beijing allegedly shapes Filipino public opinion through social media influencers and coordinated online messaging. In the explainer, Cabato walked viewers through patterns of disinformation, influencer amplification, and narratives that consistently favor China’s geopolitical interests.

Soon after, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela publicly thanked Cabato for what he described as exposing pro-China propaganda posts that continue to flood Philippine social media. He praised PCIJ for shedding light on what he sees as coordinated influence efforts.

But the reaction did not stop there.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila, through Deputy Spokesperson Guo Wei, fired back. In a strongly worded statement, Guo described Tarriela as well known for being anti-China, saying it was no surprise that he echoed what the Embassy called the so-called exposure of pro-China propaganda.

Guo then questioned PCIJ’s funding sources, pointing out that the organization had received grants from the National Endowment for Democracy over several years. Citing publicly available records, the Embassy listed amounts supposedly granted in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2021.

The statement went further, describing the NED as widely seen as a white glove of the US government, accusing it of interfering in other countries’ internal affairs and influencing public opinion under the banner of promoting democracy. “People can’t help asking: whose interests do they serve?” the Embassy said.

PCIJ did not let the accusation pass unanswered.

In its latest statement, the investigative journalism group expressed regret that the Chinese Embassy had accused both PCIJ and Cabato of being tools of US propaganda. The organization stressed that it receives funding from multiple sources, including UN organizations, and has guarded its editorial independence since its founding in 1989.

“We are nobody’s tool,” PCIJ said firmly.

The group also noted that pro-Duterte social media accounts quickly amplified the Embassy’s allegations, which were posted close to midnight Manila time on Facebook and X. According to PCIJ, the rapid virality of the message suggested a coordinated online effort. It also said it was alarmed that the Chinese Embassy was attacking independent reporting by Filipinos, adding that such actions only lend credence to our story.

The exchange underscores the growing tension over information warfare, online narratives, and geopolitical influence in the Philippines. What began as a guide on how to spot propaganda has now turned into a broader debate about media independence, foreign funding, and the battle for public opinion in the digital age.