PCG: Trolls grew ‘tenfold’ after gov’t became ‘transparent’ on WPS

Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard for the West Philippine Sea, answers questions from the members of the media during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City on Feb. 22, 2025. | INQUIRER.net file photo / ARNEL TACSON

MANILA, Philippines — Online trolls attacking the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) grew “tenfold” after the government became “transparent” on tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) under the Marcos administration.

“When we started the transparency initiative, we could only point to around 1,000 trolls,” PCG spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said at a Philippine National Police (PNP) forum on disinformation in Camp Crame on Friday.

“But right now, the trolls on social media platforms have already increased more than tenfold. In short, there are now 10,000 social media accounts that we are monitoring that counter our position in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.

INQUIRER.net has sought comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila, but it has yet to respond as of this writing.

Tarriela’s statement came after Sen. Francis Tolentino bared evidence of an alleged agreement between the Chinese embassy and a marketing firm to fund a troll farm to discredit the Philippine government.

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

‘Types and narratives of trolls’

According to Tarriela, the PCG observed three types of online trolls regarding West Philippine Sea matters: initiators, disseminators, and reposters.

He described initiators as “pro-China” influencers, who would “start the discussion by countering our factual narrative in the West Philippine Sea.”

Meanwhile, disseminators were “soulless social media accounts… created for them to proliferate disinformation conducted by the initiators,” he said.

Reposters were “supporters or fanatics of known political candidates that counter our position in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.

Tarriela also said that based on their observations of online discussions, the supposed trolls’ common tactics included the following:

• insisting that the country’s claim over the West Philippine Sea has no legal basis
• blaming the Philippine government for escalating tensions
• accusing the administration of being influenced by the United States

READ: PCG spox: Fake news peddlers boost support for China amid incursion in WPS

Joint action committee

The PNP’s forum on disinformation on Thursday was immediately followed by the official launch of its Joint Anti-Fake News Action Committee (JAFNAC).

Tarriela signed a pledge of commitment and support for the JAFNAC to promote “responsible communication,” mobilize “legitimate platforms,” strengthen digital literacy and fact-checking, and coordinate with other sectors to develop “responsive and ethical” responses to fake news.

The PCG spokesperson also said the agency was visiting educational institutions across the country to further raise awareness about the country’s claim over WPS.

READ: PNP chief Marbil ‘declares war’ vs lies

“We are doubling our efforts to make sure that the Filipino people, especially the younger generation, will not be victimized by fake news and misinformation,” Tarriela said.