The Philippine military is strengthening its security measures and loyalty regulations to prevent the leakage of military secrets to the Chinese Communist Party.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, following a recent confession by a US intelligence officer for selling classified information to the Chinese Communist Party, the Philippine military has enhanced its information security measures.
US Army intelligence analyst Sergeant Korbein Schultz pleaded guilty on August 13. He admitted to selling confidential documents to the Chinese Communist Party, including information on US weapons systems, military strategies, and details about the annual joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines.
Court documents reveal that Schultz provided dozens of sensitive US military documents to an individual residing in Hong Kong believed to have connections with Chinese authorities. Schultz reportedly received at least 14 payments totaling $42,000 for this information.
In March of this year, Schultz was arrested at the Fort Campbell military base in the US.
The US Department of Justice stated in a release that Schultz admitted to conspiring to acquire and disclose national defense information, exporting technology data related to defense items without permission, and bribing public officials.
On Tuesday, Philippine Armed Forces spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla informed “This Week in Asia” that the Philippines is actively working to enhance coordination with the US military. They have signed an intelligence-sharing agreement aimed at countering Chinese threats in the western Philippine Sea.
Once approved, this agreement will establish new security protocols between the US and the Philippines to safeguard top military secrets and set up early detection systems for potential threats in the western Philippine Sea.
Padilla also mentioned that the Philippines has increased military personnel salaries to assist them in resisting monetary temptations from Chinese spies. They have also provided training to counter network security threats.
According to the Philippine digital media outlet Rapple, the Philippine intelligence agency is investigating Song Zhang, a Chinese journalist from the Shanghai-based Wenhui Bao stationed in Manila, as his reported activities do not align with his actual work. Philippine intelligence confirmed that Zhang is a spy for the Chinese Ministry of State Security.
Jonathan Malaya, Assistant Secretary General of the Philippine National Security Council, confirmed on Monday that members of the Chinese Ministry of State Security are active in the Philippines.
When asked about potential infiltration by Zhang within the military, Padilla stated that the Philippines has specialized agencies conducting thorough background checks on officers to ensure their commitment to fulfilling their duties of safeguarding national security.
Analysts believe that these exposed espionage cases indicate that the Chinese Communist Party is establishing influence and spy networks in the Philippines through covert operatives.