Tolentino to InfinitUs: Attend next Senate probe

MANILA, Philippines — Senate majority leader Francis Tolentino dared the Makati marketing firm InfinitUs Marketing Solutions to attend the next Senate probe on its alleged role in helping Beijing push its South China Sea narrative and influence the upcoming May 12 midterm elections.

Tolentino said his Senate special committee on Philippine maritime and admiralty zones has summoned InfinitUs to attend the next hearing on Monday.

Reacting to InfinitUs’ statement denying his allegations, Tolentino said “if InfinitUs is just issuing blanket denials, it should not be before the media but before the committee, where they can testify under oath.”

“They should face us in the next hearing. Better for them to attend the hearing on Monday, instead of issuing press releases,” Tolentino said ahead of the administration Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas rally in Batangas.

In its statement, InfinitUs denied it entered into a contract with China through its embassy here to flood social media with “keyboard warriors” and downplay the Philippines’ sovereign claims in the West Philippine Sea.

“No such contract exists. We categorically deny having any agreement with the Chinese embassy – or any foreign government – for troll operations, disinformation or illicit digital activity,” the company said.

“We are not trolls – we are professionals. Our firm does not, and will never, engage in trolling,online harassment or deception,” InfinitUs added, noting that it “operates on a foundation of transparent, ethical and data-driven communications.”

It said the 2023 service agreement Tolentino showed during the hearing “is unauthenticated, unsigned and completely unfamiliar to the company.”

“It is, at least, a forgery crafted to fit a political narrative,” InfinitUs said.

InfinitUs admitted though that a Sept. 11, 2023 check issued by the Chinese embassy in the Philippines in the amount of P930,000 “is real – but legal and justified.”

“InfinitUs lawfully provides services to a range of clients, including diplomatic institutions. Payment for such services is standard and complies fully with Philippine banking, tax, anti-money laundering and corporate laws,” InfinitUs said.

The company took issue with Tolentino’s use of the check during the Senate investigation to further implicate it to Chinese espionage.