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Marc Jayson Cayabyab - The Philippine Star
May 2, 2025 | 12:00am
Senator Francis Tolentino.
STAR / Mong Pintolo
MANILA, Philippines — A Senate committee has summoned a Makati-based marketing firm to attend the panel’s next investigation on the company’s alleged role in deploying China-funded trolls to influence the May 12 midterm elections.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said the chamber’s special committee on maritime and admiralty zones has invited InfinitUs Marketing Solutions Inc. to its May 5 hearing.
Tolentino’s committee is investigating allegations of foreign espionage and interference after unearthing a “service agreement” between InfinitUs and the Chinese embassy for the deployment of “keyboard warriors” or trolls to portray China in a good light on its coast guard’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea.
Tolentino said this was part of China’s information warfare to promote the candidacies of pro-Beijing candidates and bring down the ones deemed hostile.
The firm was founded by Paul Li and Myka Basco in 2018. Li is managing partner and Basco the marketing director.
The STAR has sought the side of the officials through the company email address but got no response.
There are two Chinese nationals among the incorporators of InfinitUs, based on Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records.
Min Li and Pin Li are among the incorporators of the firm based on the Articles of Incorporation obtained by Tolentino. Their nationality is identified as “Chinese” in the records.
The SEC records also identified Basco among the Filipino incorporators. She was also elected as the corporation’s treasurer.
The two other Filipino incorporators are Ruby Benig Gestiada and Christine Bergantinos Li.
According to the firm’s Articles of Incorporation, InfinitUs is a management consultancy firm that “engages in the business of integrated marketing, communications, such as public relations, events management, and other related services without, however, engaging in advertising and mass media.”
According to its Facebook page, InfinitUs is a “marketing agency” which holds office in Salcedo Village, Makati.
InfinitUs is a “boutique end-to-end marketing solutions company for growing middle-market businesses to upscale international clientele,” according to its website which went under maintenance after the previous Senate hearing.
“Invitations have been sent to InfinitUs. Our end point here is to really strengthen our democratic system. While we may not make it bulletproof, we can make democracy stronger in our country,” Tolentino said.
He said the upcoming hearing would give InfinitUs an opportunity to either refute the allegations or present its side.
The Senate hearing also seeks to update the country’s archaic Commonwealth-era anti-espionage laws by increasing penalties and imposing stricter regulations.
“Higher penalties, and perhaps, make some of the crimes committed non-bailable,” Tolentino said.
He warned that the Filipinos who joined China’s troll farm may be charged as “accomplices or accessories” of InfinitUs in the “treasonous” act of helping push China’s narrative.
“They knowingly participated in a concerted effort to undermine the government of the Republic of the Philippines,” Tolentino said.
