Marcos ‘Very Disturbed’ as More Suspected Chinese Spies Surface
(Bloomberg) -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed deep concern over the increasing number of alleged Chinese spies arrested in the Philippines, which has prompted security officials to tighten monitoring.
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“We are very disturbed by anyone conducting such espionage operations against our military and the services that we are trying to provide,” Marcos told reporters on Friday.
The National Bureau of Investigation this week arrested five suspected Chinese spies who were allegedly monitoring activities of the Philippine coast guard and navy in Palawan province near the South China Sea, local media reported.
The Chinese nationals were “conducting aerial reconnaissance and collecting imagery intelligence on Philippine naval assets,” National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement on Friday. Their activities, which include the surveillance of coast guard stations and naval docks, are “serious concerns that warrant a firm and coordinated response,” Ano said.
The move followed last week’s arrest of a Chinese national also accused of espionage, along with two Filipino companions. Authorities said they found navigational equipment in his car, which they said he used to travel for over a month to access areas near critical infrastructure and military camps in the main Luzon island. His wife had denied the accusation.
The arrests of the alleged Chinese spies come amid ongoing tensions between Manila and Beijing over parts of the resource-rich South China Sea. Over the past year, ships from both nations had several run-ins in the disputed waters as the Marcos government continued to push back against China’s expansive claims.
“We have no official contact with China,” Marcos said when asked about the latest arrests. He said investigators are gathering more information to determine “what operations have they been doing while they’ve been here in the Philippines.”
Ano said the government will ensure that those found engaging in espionage and intelligence operations will be held accountable, and that it will “continue to strengthen counterintelligence and monitoring efforts to strengthen our national security.”
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