TACLOBAN CITY – Former senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan has expressed his concern that China may be attempting to interfere in the upcoming elections by spreading disinformation to discredit candidates critical of Beijing and bolster those aligned with its interests.
His concern aligns with a recent warning from National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, who revealed there are ‘indicators’ of Chinese efforts to meddle in the Philippine elections.
Pangilinan said he first received reports of Chinese interference as early as 2019.
He urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to convene a meeting with key stakeholders, including Meta, Google, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the National Security Council (NSC), to investigate and combat potential election interference.
“This is a very serious national security issue. Comelec, DILG, and NSC must intervene immediately,” he stressed during an interview on Thursday, April 25.
Pangilinan made a stop in the city as part of his campaign sortie in Eastern Visayas.
He first visited Borongan City where he was met with top officials of the province like Governor Ben Evardone and Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda.
Pangilinan also paid a visit to Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
