NSC spox: 2 more Chinese ‘spies’ arrested in Palawan
Philippine authorities arrested two more suspected Chinese spies this week and expect “more arrests” in the coming days after a Chinese national and two Filipinos were earlier nabbed for alleged espionage targeting military sites in the country, according to an official of the National Security Council (NSC).
Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, the NSC spokesperson, said at the Utak Forum in Quezon City on Wednesday that the two men were arrested in Palawan but he gave scant details, not wanting to preempt an ongoing investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation.
“What I can say right now is there will be more arrests and these include what happened there in Palawan because we have ramped up our counterintelligence efforts,” Malaya said.
The arrest came about two weeks after authorities nabbed Chinese national Deng Yuanqing and Filipinos Ronel Jojo Balundo Besa and Jayson Amado Fernandez for allegedly engaging in espionage.
Malaya said an investigation was ongoing to determine whether the two were linked to Deng.
He said that the cellular phones and the equipment confiscated from the two men indicated that they and Deng “are part of a group.”
“If we find evidence that they are connected, we will make the necessary announcement,” Malaya said.
“We are slowly unraveling the conspiracy of this operation being done by foreign actors to conduct espionage in the Philippines,” he said, adding that the NSC was “part of the team” that included the NBI and the Department of Justice that is “looking into this.”
Seen taking videos
Local residents said the two Chinese nationals, who claimed to be Taiwanese tourists, were seen taking cell phone videos of a Philippine Coast Guard ship, according to a GMA News report. They also said the two had set up a closed-circuit television camera pointed toward the sea.
Palawan is the staging area for the Philippine military’s rotation and resupply missions to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, which the China Coast Guard had constantly tried to block, sometimes violently, before Manila and Beijing reached an agreement last year to prevent further confrontations.
The province is also the base of the military’s Western Command, which is in charge of monitoring Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea, waters within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Malaya assured the suspected spies, including Deng, that “they will have their day in court and we will prove to the public that we have a solid case and we have the evidence of their prosecution.”
The Chinese Embassy in Manila said over the weekend that the Philippine government should refrain from making “groundless speculations” against Deng. They had no immediate comment on the two recent arrests.
The embassy urged the government to handle “relevant cases in accordance with the law, earnestly fulfill the obligations of the bilateral consular treaty and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens in the Philippines.”
Update espionage law
But Malaya said the government had all the necessary evidence to prove Deng’s culpability, saying that a case buildup was done against the suspect after an extensive surveillance ahead of his arrest.
Speaking in the same forum with Malaya, former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said the Philippines needed to update its criminal laws, particularly on national security, following the arrest of alleged Chinese spies.
Malaya agreed with Carpio that the Philippines’ espionage law was “outdated.”
“It needs to be updated. There are several bills now pending in Congress. Unfortunately, given the lack of time that we have, probably this won’t be passed this Congress,” he said.
Evolving threats
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año has called on Congress to prioritize the passage of the amendments to the 1941 Espionage Act and the countering foreign interference and malign influence bill.
“Strengthening our legal framework is essential to effectively address evolving security threats and to ensure that those who seek to compromise our national security will face the full force of the law,” Año said in a statement last week.
“The arrest of these individuals is a stark reminder of the persistent threats posed by foreign interference and malign influence to the country,” he added.
Depending on the specific offenses, the penalties under American Commonwealth-era law include 10 years to 20 years of imprisonment. In times of war the punishment is up to 30 years in prison or death.
