Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino on Monday said new documents presented at a Senate inquiry further exposed the alleged links between InfinitUs Marketing Solutions Inc. (IMSI) and a troll farm reportedly funded by the Chinese Embassy.
Tolentino claimed that the denials made by IMSI co-founder Paul Li collapsed under the weight of additional records revealed during the hearing. He highlighted a Chinese-language document detailing a “project publicity guidance” agreement with the embassy, amounting to P930,000. According to Tolentino, this matched the amount on a check dated Sept. 11, 2023, earlier shown to have been issued by the Chinese Embassy to IMSI.
Li had explained that the check was used to purchase COVID-related medical supplies for a June 2023 embassy event, but Tolentino questioned the claim, noting that the pandemic had largely subsided by then.
The senator also expressed disappointment over the absence of IMSI’s Filipino co-founder, Myka Poynton, who could have clarified her signature’s presence in the controversial service contract. The same document was also signed by Chinese Embassy media and public relations director Wu Chenqi.
Asked whether he would summon IMSI incorporator Christine Li, Tolentino said he would not do so out of respect for her ongoing cancer treatment, as disclosed by her husband, Paul Li.
Despite repeated denials, Tolentino maintained that IMSI’s troll operations are still active. He cited a job notice reportedly photographed at IMSI’s Makati office seeking TikTok influencers, which Li confirmed was genuine. The notice required applicants to have at least 200 followers. Tolentino also presented travel records showing frequent trips to China by IMSI officials, including Li, Poynton, and incorporator Ruby B. Gestiada. Li claimed the trips were mostly personal.
