Anti-troll Farm Act of the Philippines
Filed on November 11, 2025, and referred to the Committee on Public Information and Mass Media and Justice and Human Rights; it has been pending in committee since December 15, 2025, with no recorded action since then.
The bill addresses the growing issue of misinformation and online manipulation in the Philippines.
The bill responds to the increasing threat of misinformation and online manipulation.
Anti-troll Farm Act of the Philippines
The Anti-Troll Farm Act of the Philippines aims to ban the operation and financing of troll farms, prohibit the use of public funds for their establishment or maintenance, and prescribe penalties for violations.
Compared with current law:
Troll farms operate with little regulation.
Troll farms will be banned and penalized.
Public funds can be misused for misinformation.
Public funds will be prohibited from supporting troll farms.
A troll farm is defined as any group or network that intentionally creates or spreads false information for profit or political influence, as stated in Section 3 of the bill.
Source · full text✦ Dashed tags are AI-suggested nuance; solid tags follow the committee taxonomy.
Stalled: the bill has sat in committee for over 10 months with no action since the last committee meeting on February 11, 2026.
No floor deliberations yet — this measure has not reached plenary. Its committee-stage actions appear under Legislative history above.
Senate Office of the secretary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) First Regular Session ) 25 NOV 11 P2:51 SENATE RECEIVED BY: S. No. 1490 Introduced by Senator Robinhood Padilla AN ACT BANNING THE OPERATION AND FINANCING OF TROLL FARMS, PROHIBITING THE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THEIR ESTABLISHMENT OR MAINTENANCE, AND PRESCRIBING PENALTIES THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE In recent years, the Philippines has witnessed the alarming rise of troll farms or keyboard warriors - these are organized groups or networks of individuals paid to spread misinformation, manipulate online discussions, and tarnish the reputation of public officials, figures, and institutions. Various studies, investigations, and official inquiries have revealed that these overt operations not only distort public opinion but also corrode the foundation of the overall democratic dialogue. An Oxford Internet Institute report ranked the Philippines among the countries with the most sophisticated and sustained online manipulation networks, while several news outlets have documented instances where public resources and government- linked agencies were allegedly used to fund or coordinate online propaganda. These troll farms, often masquerading as "digital marketing" or "public information" projects, exploit social media to mislead the public, harass dissenters, and manufacture consent for policies or political agendas. Most recently, in a press release dated 24 April 2025, Senator Francis Tolentino presented evidence directly linking the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines to the proliferation of troll farm operations in the country. At the third hearing of the Senate
Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, former Senator Tolentino exposed a service agreement between Infinitus Marketing Solutions, Inc. and the Chinese Embassy for the deployment of so-called "keyboard warriors" to conduct disinformation and influence operations targeting Philippine institutions. He further presented a copy of a check worth P930,000 issued by the Chinese Embassy to the said company-confirming the foreign financing of digital manipulation activities. These revelations, coupled with earlier reports of espionage and cyber infiltration, highlight a grave threat to our national security, sovereignty, and information integrity. As Senator Tolentino underscored, such operations amount to "pagyurak sa dignidad ng mga Pilipino at pagyapak sa dangal ng Pilipinas." This condemnation holds true for both domestic and international involvement in troll farming activities. The possible use of taxpayers' money to sustain these operations aggravates the offense, eroding public trust in government institutions. This measure therefore seeks to ban the operation, organization, and financing of troll farms, and to prohibit the use of public funds, facilities, or resources for any activity involving organized online deception or manipulation. It likewise provides for penalties against individuals or entities-both public and private-found guilty of sponsoring or concealing troll operations, and establishes oversight mechanisms through the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Commission on Audit (COA), and Civil Service Commission (CSC) to ensure compliance, accountability, and transparency. By enacting the Anti-Troll Farm Act of the Philippines, the Legislature reaffirms the State's commitment to protect the integrity of information, promote responsible digital citizenship, and uphold transparency and good governance in all forms of public communication. In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought. ROBINHOOD PADILLA Senator
Senate Office of the socerelary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 25 NOV 11 P2:51 SENATE RECEIVED BY: 1490 S. No. _ Introduced by Senator Robinhood Padilla AN ACT BANNING THE OPERATION AND FINANCING OF TROLL FARMS, PROHIBITING THE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THEIR ESTABLISHMENT OR MAINTENANCE, PRESCRIBING PENALTIES THEREFOR Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Anti-Troll Farm Act of the
2 Philippines."
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
protect the integrity of information, promote responsible digital citizenship, and uphold 5 transparency and accountability in public communication. The use of deception, 6 misinformation, or organized online manipulation funded by public or private entities 7 shall be prohibited and punished under this Act.
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall
9 mean: a. Troll Farm refers to any group, organization, or coordinated network of individuals or automated accounts that intentionally creates, publishes, or amplifies false, misleading, or malicious information for profit, political influence, or personal gain; b. Financing refers to the act of providing, directly or indirectly, monetary or material support for the establishment, operation, or maintenance of
a troll farm, including payment of salaries, procurement of equipment, or lease of facilities used for such purpose; c. Public Officia/ refers to any person holding public office, whether elected or appointed, including employees of government agencies, government-owned or -controlled corporations, and local government units; and d. Government Funds refer to any money, property, or asset owned, controlled, or appropriated by the government or any of its instrumentalities.
SEC. 4. Prohibited Acts. - It shall be unlawful for any person, natural or juridical,
to: a. Establish, organize, or operate a troll farm; b. Finance or otherwise provide material support to a troll farm; C. Employ or engage the services of a troll farm for any purpose; d. Use or authorize the use of government funds, facilities, or resources for any activity failing under Section 4 (a) to (c) of this Act; and e. Direct, tolerate or conceal the existence of troll farms or related operations within a public office or agency.
SEC. 5. Penalties -
a. For Individuals: i. Any individual found guilty of operating a troll farm or creating and disseminating disinformation shall be punished with: 1. Imprisonment of six (6) to twelve (12) years; and 2. A fine of not less than Five Hundred Thousand Philippine Pesos (P500,000.00) but not more than Two Million Philippine Pesos (P2,000,000.00). ii. If the offender is a vlogger, influencer, or media personality, the penalty shall be: 1. Imprisonment of six (6) to twelve (12) years; and 2. A fine of not less than One Million Philippine Pesos (P1,000,000.00) but not more than Four Million Philippine
Pesos (P4,000,000.00). ill. If the offender is a government employee, the penalty shall be increased by one degree, and the fine to be imposed shall not be less than Two Million Philippine Pesos (P2,000,000.00) but not more than Five Million Philippine Pesos (P5,000,000.00). b. For Political Candidates: i. Any political candidates found to have knowingly benefited from any of the prohibited acts shall be disqualified from running for office, in addition to the penalties prescribed in this Act. C. For Organizations or Troll Farms: i. Any organization found guilty of operating troll farms or systematically disseminating disinformation shall be penalized with: 1. A fine of not less than Five Million Philippine Peso (Php5,000,000.00) but not more than Ten Million Philippine Peso (Php10,000,000.00); 2. Permanent revocation of business permits and licenses, if applicable. d. Accessory Penalties: i. Confiscation and destruction of all equipment, tools, and software used in the operation of troll farms; and ii. Suspension of access to online platforms used to spread disinformation.
SEC 6. Institutional Accountability and Oversight. -
a. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NB1) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), shall investigate and monitor troll farm activities, both online and offline; b. The Commission on Audit (COA) shall conduct regular audits of government communication budgets to ensure that no funds are diverted to troll operations; and C. The Civil Service Commission (CSC) shall prescribe disciplinary measures
against public officials found to have tolerated or benefited from troll farm activities.
SEC. 7. Whistleblower Protection. - Any individual who voluntarily provides
5 information or evidence leading to the successful prosecution of persons or entities engaged in troll farm activities shall be entitled to protection under Republic Act No. 7 6981 (Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act).
SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within six (6) months after the
9 effectivity of this Act, the DICT, in consultation with the Department of Justice (DOJ, 10 CSC, and COA, shall promulgate, adopt, and issue rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - If any clause, sentence, paragraph, or part of this
Act shall be declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected 14 thereby shall remain valid and subsisting.
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees or issuances,
executive orders, letters of instruction, administrative orders, proclamations, charters, rules or regulations and/or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions 18 of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.
SEC. 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
following its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,
Reproduced from the Senate document. The official PDF is the authoritative version.