黑料社

MANILA, Philippines聽 鈥� Filipino vloggers who were trained under a Chinese government鈥檚 program should use the skills they learned for the betterment of the Philippines, Deputy Speaker David Suarez said on Friday.

At the hearing of the House of Representatives tri-committee, Suarez asked former Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles if she knew individuals in a photo taken at Tiananmen Square during a training conducted by China鈥檚 National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) in 2023.

According to Cruz-Angeles, she no longer remembers all the individuals in the photo but knows some of them like journalist Pia Morato, bloggers Tio Moreno and Mark Lopez, and lawyer Ahmed Paglinawan.

Cruz-Angeles said the training was quite technical, as it revolved around how to better utilize short-form social media use.

鈥淎t least our resource persons admitted that they benefitted from the state-sponsored seminar, that they understood how to use reels, threads, and short videos. My appeal only is this: I hope you can use this additional knowledge and skills for the benefit of the Philippines,鈥� Suarez said in Filipino.

During his time to question the resource persons, Suarez also inquired about the specific training regimen given to journalists and vloggers, and who shouldered the expenditures.

According to Cruz-Angeles, the Chinese government shouldered the expenses for the training that ran from May 23 to June 5, 2023.

鈥淎nd this seminar, was it sponsored or did you have to pay for your seminar fees?鈥� Suarez asked.聽 鈥淪o the one that paid the expenses is the government of China?鈥�

鈥淭his was sponsored鈥�Yes, sir,鈥� Cruz-Angeles replied.

鈥淗ow did you get invited to take part in the seminar?鈥� Suarez asked.

鈥淭hrough the Chinese Embassy 鈥� They conduct these regularly, I understand.聽 There are others who are also invited from the mainstream media, but we did not go together during that time. So I understand that this is conducted regularly,鈥� Cruz-Angeles said.

The former PCO head also told lawmakers that the discussions centered on new techniques in using social media.

鈥淭hey introduced new techniques in social media such as short-form social media, how to take them. A lot of them were technical, emerging issues, but they also gave a background on China. And that鈥檚, I鈥檓 sorry, that鈥檚 all that I can recall,鈥� she explained.

鈥淲ould you think that the seminar you attended affected your perspective or the work that you do? Because that鈥檚 the goal of seminars, right? To improve your appreciation of things, to increase your skills so you can do your jobs better. So do you think the seminars were of any help with your jobs?鈥� Suarez asked.

鈥淚t includes a history of China, which also includes an understanding of the area. I have studied that already a long time ago, so many of these were just a repeat. What was new is the short form, the seminar on the usage of short form type of video, which is technical, like a technical seminar where we are taught to use this on different platforms,鈥� she explained.

Several vloggers faced scrutiny at the House tri-committee hearing, which was probing the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation on social media.

Prior to Suarez鈥� questions for Cruz-Angeles, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano warned Lopez that he would cite him for contempt if the blogger lies again.

This was after Lopez wrongly claimed that Philippine forces also do water cannon attacks like what China鈥檚 vessels did in the West Philippine Sea.

READ: Blogger apologizes for claiming PH uses water cannons in WPS

Filipinos have long been considered to be one of the prevalent social media and internet users across the globe.

However, heavy social media use also means that Filipinos are susceptible to misinformation and disinformation.

In May 2024, lawmakers urged the public to exercise discretion amid the spread of videos where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.鈥檚 voice was mimicked to announce that the Philippines was getting ready for war against China.

READ:

The PCO has disowned the video, saying that it was made to sound like Marcos, who had not made such an order to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.