The Philippine authorities arrested a Chinese national suspected of espionage earlier this month, and on Thursday (January 30th), the country’s security officials stated that they have also apprehended 5 Chinese citizens suspected of engaging in illegal intelligence-gathering activities in the Philippines.
These arrests come at a time of escalating tensions between the Philippines and China over the strategically significant disputed islands and waters in the South China Sea.
According to reports from the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines carried out the arrests. The arrested suspects are identified as Cai Shaohuang (alias Richard Tan Chua, considered the leader of the group), Cheng Hai Tao, Wu Cheng Ting, Wang Yong Yi, and Wu Chin Ren.
Jaime Santiago, the Director of the National Bureau of Investigation, stated during a press conference on Thursday that these individuals used drones to record the activities of a naval detachment, coast guard ships, an air force base, a navy base, and a shipyard in Palawan province, located near the Spratly Islands (known as Nansha Islands in China).
Observations by Philippine authorities suggest that these 5 suspects often claimed to be purchasing marine products as they visited Ulugan Bay in Palawan. However, it is alleged that they conducted aerial surveillance and collected image intelligence on the Naval Detachment Oyster Bay located in the area, which is near the South China Sea and is considered a crucial strategic point for the Philippine Navy.
Analysis of the suspects’ mobile phones revealed photos and videos of Bataraza’s Buliluyan Port, coast guard stations, navy vessels, and docks stored in the devices.
Furthermore, the high-resolution images of the Philippine Navy’s Del Pilar-class patrol vessel PS 16 were discovered in these devices.
The Philippine authorities also found topographical maps of Subic Bay International Airport and Naval Operating Base Subic in the devices, labeled in Chinese, indicating reconnaissance plans.
Additionally, images of two Philippine Coast Guard offshore patrol vessels were discovered in the suspects’ possessions.
Dana Sandoval, a spokesperson for the Philippine Immigration Bureau, noted during the press conference that some of the suspects have been residing in the Philippines since 2002 without any criminal records.
According to the data from the National Bureau of Investigation, these suspects were under surveillance following the arrest of another Chinese national, Deng Yuanqing, and his local comrades on January 17th for violations of the Espionage Act.
The Director of the National Bureau of Investigation previously mentioned that Deng Yuanqing was part of a syndicate tracked by Philippine authorities. He stated, “Last December, the Naval Intelligence Division of the Philippine Armed Forces provided us with information that there was a Chinese syndicate in the country conducting surveillance on our territory.”
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines did not immediately respond to requests for comments from Agence France-Presse on the recent arrests.
The Chinese Embassy had previously dismissed the espionage accusations against Deng Yuanqing as “baseless speculation and accusations,” and requested consular access to the detainees.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Bureau of Investigation have enhanced counter-espionage measures to dismantle foreign intelligence surveillance networks within the country.
The Director of the National Bureau of Investigation stated, “We will continue to collaborate with the Philippine Navy Task Force to thwart any attempts to acquire sensitive national security information… We will persist in monitoring, intercepting, and detecting to prevent espionage activities within our borders.”
The Philippine authorities indicated that “more arrest operations” are forthcoming.
Jonathan Malaya, the spokesperson for the National Security Council of the Philippines, mentioned during a forum on the South China Sea issue held on Wednesday, “We have seen the extensive actions they (the Chinese) have been carrying out in the Philippines.”