By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos and Wilnard Bacelonia | Philippine News Agency
Malacañang on Friday ordered the immediate and deeper investigation into China’s alleged interference with the upcoming midterm elections in the Philippines.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro expressed alarm over the National Security Council’s (NSC) revelation that there are indicators that China is interfering in the May 12 elections.
Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is already aware of the supposed foreign interference.
“Ito po ay talagang nakakaalarma,” Castro said.
“Nakarating na po ito sa Pangulo. Kaya po kailangan po talaga ng maagaran, mas malalim na pag-iimbestiga,” she added.
Castro said the Palace will reach out to the NSC to know more about China’s alleged intention to meddle in Philippine politics.
“Sa ngayon po, ang sinabi po sa atin ay pag-iimbestigahan pa po muna para malaman natin kung ano pa po ang mga detalye dito at kung ano po ang napapaloob sa mga ganitong klaseng pangyayari,” Castro said.
‘Alyansa’ expresses concerns
The “Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas” also sounded the alarm over reported foreign interference in the upcoming midterm elections.
“The right of every Filipino to freely choose their leaders—without manipulation, pressure, or foreign influence—is non-negotiable,” the coalition said in a statement.
“Any attempt to interfere in that process is a direct violation of our national integrity and must be condemned in the strongest terms,” it added.
During the Senate probe, panel chair and Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino pressed the NSC on whether there was a pattern of targeting candidates with strong pro-sovereignty or anti-China views.
“There are indications that information operations are being conducted or that Chinese state-sponsored groups in the Philippines are actually interfering in the forthcoming elections,” NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said, adding that these efforts include amplifying Beijing’s official narratives through identified “local proxies”.
One example cited was the coordinated messaging around the ongoing Balikatan military exercises, which China frames as a threat to regional stability—a narrative echoed by certain groups in the Philippines, according to Malaya.
The Alyansa said such interference is not merely a political issue but a matter of national security.
It called on authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation, identify and hold accountable those involved, and ensure the sanctity of the Philippine electoral process.
“Our future must be determined by us alone. We stand firmly with the Filipino people in defending our democracy,” it added.
