2 Chinese nationals among execs in ‘troll farm’ vs PH – SEC

Two Chinese nationals are among the five officials of a local firm allegedly contracted by the Chinese embassy in Manila to discredit the Philippine government, government records showed. Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino recently presented a copy of a check reportedly issued by the Chinese embassy to InfinitUs Marketing Solutions.— File photo

MANILA, Philippines— Two Chinese nationals are among the five incorporators of a local firm allegedly contracted by the Chinese embassy in Manila to discredit the Philippine government, government records showed.

Min Li and Pin Li were both identified as Chinese, and incorporators of the Makati-based Infinitus Marketing Solutions, as shown in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents obtained by the Senate special committee on Philippine maritime and admiralty zones.

Three Filipinos—Ruby Benig Gestiada, Christine Bergantinos Li, and Myka Isabel Basco— were also listed as incorporators of the company.

Notably, their Articles of Incorporation also showed that three of the incorporators— the two Chinese nationals and Christine Bergantinos Li— have the same address in Taguig City.  Gestiada and Basco live in Cavite and Paranaque, respectively.

InfinitUs had a capital stock of P3 million when it registered in 2019, SEC records also showed.

According to the same documents, the company’s primary purpose is “to engage in (the) business of integrated marketing, communication, such as public relations, events management, and other related services, without, however, engaging in advertising and mass media.”

But Senate Majority Leader Francis  Tolentino earlier claimed the company was being used by China through its embassy in Manila to discredit the Philippine government and anti-Beijing lawmakers.

READ: Tolentino bares evidence China paying farm troll to discredit PH gov’t

“The work of InfinitUs is to provide keyboard warriors,” Tolentino said in Filipino during the hearing of the special committee on Philippine maritime and admiralty zones last April 24.

“The money that the Chinese embassy paid was for something hidden and sinister. It was to finance a troll farm. It’s a troll farm — a covert disinformation and influence operation against the Philippine government and the Filipino people,” he added.

INQUIRER.net has been trying to get the side of InfinitUs but it has yet to respond as of posting.