MANILA, Philippines – Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is set to file a resolution calling for a Senate probe into the role of British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica in the 2016 presidential elections.

Trillanes said he wants the Senate to investigate reports that the 2016 polls was compromised “through manipulation or undue influence.”

Asked who could have benefitted from the alleged manipulation, Trillanes said it could only be President Rodrigo Duterte. After all, he said Duterte’s campaign team has been linked to the firm.

“Si Duterte lang naman ang nagfake news noong campaign, saka mga tao niya ‘yung nalilink dito sa Cambridge Analytica na ito. So dito ‘nyo makikita ‘pag nakuha mo ang poder sa pandaraya at panloloko, gagamitin mo ang poder na ‘yun sa pandaraya at panloloko,” Trillanes told reporters on Tuesday, April 10.

(It was only Duterte who spread fake news during the campaign and its his people who are now being linked to the Cambridge Analytica issue. So you will see here that once you obtained power by cheating and fooling [the people], you will also use that power to cheat and fool.)

The company used data collected online via Facebook to segment voters according to their personalities and behavior. The information was then used to target Facebook users on content specifically tailored for them during the Trump campaign. The end goal was to create software to predict and influence voters’ choices on election day.

Data suggest the same scheme was also used in the 2016 Philippine elections, months before the US elections took place. Facebook itself said 1,175,870 Filipino users might have had their social media information improperly shared with the firm.

The year before the 2016 presidential elections in the Philippines, the now suspended CEO Alexander Nix came to Manila supposedly to do some “research.” It appears, however, he came primarily to meet with representatives of Istratehiya, a local politicial consulting company whose director and incorporator is a family friend of Duterte, Rey Faizal Ponce Millan. Also present at the meeting were members of the campaign team of Duterte. (READ: Duterte social media campaign manager: ‘Nix influenced my work’)

In an exclusive Rappler report, Istratehiya admitted to Rappler that it talked with CA’s parent company Strategic Communication Laboratories but denied partnering with it. (READ: Did Cambridge Analytica use Filipinos’ Facebook data to help Duterte win?)

In 2013, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) released Resolution 9615, prohibitting foreigners from meddling in Philippines elections. Section 4 of the resolution reads:

“It is unlawful for any foreigner, whether a juridical or natural person, to directly or indirectly aid any candidate, or political party, organization or coalition, or to take part in, or influence in any manner, any election, or to contribute or make any expenditure in connection with any election campaign or partisan political activity,” the Comelec said.

Any violation is punishable with up to 6 years in prison, disqualification of the candidate, and payment of a fine. Foreigners in the country found guilty of meddling could also face prison time and deportation. – Rappler.com