The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) suspects both domestic and foreign groups may be behind disinformation campaigns intended to undermine its chain of command following former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and subsequent surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy on the West Philippine Sea (WPS), said foreigners were likely helping instigate confusion but refused to confirm reports of Chinese involvement in recent destabilization efforts.
“Interest groups, domestic and foreign, would like to sow intrigue, disinformation, misinformation, malinformation, to weaken the chain of command and to cause it to break,” he said.
“During these times, it is important the AFP chain of command remains whole. We guarantee your security. We guarantee your safety. Under that security blanket, all players could engage in politics because of that security blanket that the AFP provides,” Trinidad added.
The Navy officer issued the statement amid the proliferation of “fake news” on social media, including satirical posts and fabricated quote cards, designed to mislead the public on the details of the former president’s capture and detention.
Duterte faces charges of crimes against humanity filed in the ICC for his controversial anti-drug campaign, which he spearheaded as mayor of Davao City and later as president.
The AFP has cautioned the public against social media pages and groups falsely claiming to represent or be connected with the military.
It also urged the public to exercise extreme caution when engaging with or following these accounts to avoid falling victim to disinformation.
“We have observed the proliferation of unauthorized accounts using the AFP’s name and imagery, some with the intent to sow confusion and division,” it said.
“These unofficial pages and groups may promote and propagate unverified, false, or misleading information, potentially leading to public misperception and distrust,” the AFP added.
Last week, fictitious reports flooded the internet suggesting that soldiers were resigning en masse in support of Duterte.
“The AFP remains a professional, unified, and non-partisan institution committed to its constitutional mandate of defending the nation and serving the Filipino people,” AFP Spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said, however.
Meanwhile, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago (Ret.) said he has ordered the Cybercrime Division to conduct a case build-up against vloggers spreading fake news via online platforms.
“[We can file a case for] cyber libel, we can also charge them with inciting to sedition because they are already causing confusion,” he said in a briefing last Thursday.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “AFP: Organized disinfo drive aims to weaken chain of command.”