00:00A Senate committee hearing in the Philippines takes an unexpected turn.
00:05What started as a probe into maritime security quickly shifted
00:08to possible foreign interference in the upcoming midterm elections.
00:13There are indications, Mr. Chairman, that information operations are being conducted
00:18that are Chinese state-sponsored in the Philippines and are actually interfering in the forthcoming elections.
00:25This senator says the Chinese embassy in Manila has been paying a local marketing firm
00:30to spread pro-China propaganda online, presenting evidence of money-changing hands from the embassy,
00:37along with what he says is a contract to hire so-called keyboard warriors,
00:43plus a script that appears to guide drill farms on exactly what to post.
00:47The National Security Council says local firms are being used to spread pro-Beijing narratives.
00:53For example, that the ongoing joint U.S.-Philippine-Balikatan military drills are threatening regional peace,
01:02and that new maritime laws are intentionally provoking China.
01:06China, for its part, says it has no interest in spreading such messages.
01:11Relations between the Philippines and China have grown increasingly tense in recent years,
01:25mainly due to disputes over the South China Sea, where both countries have overlapping territorial claims.
01:32Some analysts say these interference accusations could escalate tensions,
01:37especially after both countries recently arrested each other's citizens over alleged spying.
01:43And so this new case of alleged interference by China in the Philippine electoral process
01:51adds up to this hardening public view of the Philippines about China,
01:58and this will not contribute in improving trust between the two sides.
02:03Filipinos abroad have already started voting,
02:06and 70 million more in the Philippines are expected to vote in May.
02:10Twelve Senate seats and thousands of local posts are at stake.
02:14Security officials are now calling for updated safeguard measures
02:18to ensure the elections are free from any form of interference.
02:22Dolphine Chen and Gino Lopez for Taiwan Plus
02:25saying that they are now pairing together until the day that theorean
02:44will be faithful to London.
02:47Welcome to the Governor of Berlin's Police Section Grillot.
02:49I'm going to try this now.
02:49I apologize.
02:50I just apologize.
02:53I'm going to take a moment.
02:54I'm going to take a moment.
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