The rights group ‘Article 19’ is alarmed by a recent smear campaign carried out by the Chinese embassy in the Philippines targeting an investigative journalism outlet following their reporting on Chinese influence operations in the country. The online harassment is part of a broader pattern of transnational repression and influence operations in the Philippines’ information space that seeks to discredit China-critical narratives. It undermines the right of the media to independently carry out critical journalism and share information in the public interest.
‘Article 19’ calls for the Chinese embassy to cease its harassment of independent journalists, and for Filipino authorities to use available diplomatic channels and protection mechanisms to respond and maintain the safety of the targeted outlet.
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In October 2025, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) published print and video reporting by Regine Cabato analysing Chinese influence operations in the country. Following publication, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines shared a series of Facebook posts smearing the investigative outlet, attacking their credibility and suggesting their reporting served foreign, rather than Philippine, interests.
PCIJ found that accounts aligned with ex-president Rodrigo Duterte quickly circulated the embassy’s initial post, resulting in over 400 re-shares to a combined audience of at least 3 million followers within 24 hours. In a 2025 hearing, Duterte-aligned influencers had confirmed participation in Chinese-funded media training seminars, with one participant stating he ‘gained an understanding of “how China media works”’. These subsidised trips are a common tactic in China’s foreign information manipulation operations playbook; they persuade local elites and other non-Chinese proxies to push Beijing’s preferred narratives.
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