By THEPHILBIZNEWS STAFF
On his 80th birthday last Friday (March 28), rallies supporting ICC-detained former President Rodrigo Duterte took place not just in the Philippines, but across the globe—with a curious level of organization and funding.
Before these rallies, digital posters widely circulated among Duterte supporters calling for a celebration of his birthday in detention.
In her article on Vera Files, journalist Ellen Tordesillas exposed an online poster with text in Chinese calling for a tribute to “national hero” on his natal day while also lashing out at his critics.
Tordesillas also noted that Chinese social media calls Sara Duterte “the next Philippine president.”
The logistics and digital amplification behind the demonstrations of support for the detained Duterte raise troubling questions. Why is such a high-profile pro-Duterte campaign spreading on Chinese platforms? Is there really grassroots enthusiasm?
Apparently, China continues to back Duterte, who during his presidency practically gave away our islands and waters to his friend Xi Jinping.
But inside the C-suite of the Philippine telecommunications industry, there are whispers that a Chinese global company among them is providing funding to prop up these demonstrations and the propaganda machine surrounding Duterte.
