The social media page reportedly recruiting soldiers and persons with military backgrounds allegedly run by China has already been shut down, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Wednesday.
“Apparently, yun pong site na ito is already taken down as of this moment, wala na po siya,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.
No other details were provided on how the page was taken down.
She added that the AFP started looking into the matter a few days ago to check the veracity of reports claiming that active and retired military personnel have applied to work as part-time analysts for the social media page.
Reports said these individuals, once accepted, will be tasked with writing reports on military life and other hot military topics.
The site is reportedly connected to a U.S. military advertising agency, which, upon casual checking, led to a domain name showing Chinese origin.
Despite the page’s takedown, Padilla said that they were able to secure “screenshots of those who have tried to apply online.”
However, she clarified that the AFP could not check the “private messages” of the prospective applicants.
“But with the ‘screenshots,’ as of this time, we are investigating whether we have involved personnel na nakapag-apply,” Padilla said.
The AFP spokesperson added that the military, along with other concerned agencies, are now tracking those behind the account and whether there were personnel who divulged or leaked any sensitive information.
“So we are considering this as a national security concern, so its actually a fusion of efforts between interagency agencies, so nakikipag-tulungan po tayo sa iba’t ibang ahensya tungkol dito,” she noted.
Padilla, meanwhile, said they have yet to detect AFP officers who have engaged with the social media page.
Asked about its possible objectives, Padilla said individuals behind the page might be trying to get “internal data from the Armed Forces.” (PNA)
