MANILA. The Philippines government remains persistent in seeking clarification from the Pentagon regarding a covert U.S. propaganda operation aimed at sowing doubt among Filipinos about Chinese vaccines during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior official from the foreign ministry revealed on Tuesday.
A recent investigation by Reuters, published on June 14, exposed how the Pentagon orchestrated a clandestine campaign from 2020 to 2021 to discredit the Sinovac vaccine and other pandemic aid from China across several developing nations. This operation was part of broader efforts by the United States to counter China’s growing influence globally, particularly in Southeast Asia, and began during the administration of former President Donald Trump, continuing into President Joseph Biden’s tenure.
“We have not received an official and formal response yet on confirmation, denial, or anything. We are waiting for that. We continue to monitor and ask for information,” stated Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga, Assistant Secretary for Foreign Affairs, addressing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s ongoing investigation into the U.S. information campaign.
Chan-Gonzaga noted that upon the publication of the Reuters report, the Philippine foreign ministry promptly engaged with the U.S. embassy in Manila through established diplomatic channels but was redirected to the U.S. Department of Defense for further inquiries.
In response to queries on Tuesday, the U.S. embassy directed Reuters to the Defense Department for comments.
As cited in the June 14 Reuters report, a senior official from the Defense Department acknowledged the military’s involvement in the secret campaign aimed at undermining confidence in China’s vaccine, though specifics were withheld.
Senator Imee Marcos, chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, condemned the U.S. military’s actions as “evil, wicked, dangerous, unethical.” Marcos, sister of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., highlighted the staggering toll of COVID-19 in the country, stating that the number of infections had surpassed 4.1 million with nearly 67,000 deaths, according to World Health Organization data, making the Philippines one of the worst affected nations in Southeast Asia.
During the Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire acknowledged health officials’ concerns about vaccine misinformation, initially perceived as sporadic rather than orchestrated.
The Philippines government continues to await a formal response from the U.S. authorities regarding the alleged propaganda operation, underscoring the significance of transparency and accountability in international relations amid ongoing global health challenges.
Reuters uncovered over 300 accounts on X (formerly Twitter) resembling profiles described by former U.S. military sources familiar with operations in the Philippines. These accounts, created mostly in the summer of 2020, prominently featured the hashtag #Chinaangvirus, a Tagalog phrase implying China was the source of the virus.
A typical July 2020 tweet in Tagalog stated, “COVID came from China and the VACCINE also came from China, don’t trust China!” alongside a photo of a syringe, a Chinese flag, and a graph depicting rising infections. Another post declared, “From China – PPE, Face Mask, Vaccine: FAKE. But the Coronavirus is real.”
Upon Reuters’ inquiry, X removed these profiles, determining them part of a coordinated bot campaign based on activity patterns and internal data.
Reuters investigation revealed that the U.S. military’s anti-vaccine initiative commenced in spring 2020, extending beyond Southeast Asia until mid-2021. Tailoring the campaign for diverse regions like Central Asia and the Middle East, the Pentagon utilized fake accounts across various platforms to sow distrust in China’s vaccines, leveraging concerns about pork gelatin content to suggest they violated Islamic dietary laws.
Initiated under former President Donald Trump and persisting into President Joe Biden’s administration, the program continued despite warnings from social media executives. The Biden administration halted the anti-vax efforts in spring 2021, which also targeted vaccines from other competitors, prompting an internal Pentagon review.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
