Marcos 'very disturbed' by alleged China spying in Palawan
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President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. expressed deep concern on Friday over the arrest of five Chinese nationals suspected of spying on Philippine Navy and Coast Guard assets in Palawan.
"That's why we arrested them. Of course, we are very disturbed by anyone conducting such espionage operations against our military," Marcos told reporters in an ambush interview in Pasay City.
The President said he is awaiting further details on the suspects' activities, noting that some of them had been in the country for a long time.
"The investigative services are still developing more information to see exactly... what operations they have been doing while they have been here in the Philippines. Dahil 'yung iba matagal nang nandito, nakapangasawa na ng mga Pilipina. Sleeper talaga. Yung tinatawag na sleeper," the President said.
(Some have been here for years, even marrying Filipinas. These are what you call "sleeper" spies.)
"Kailangan, kung sakali, baka naman pagka nakausap natin sila masabi sa atin baka meron pang mga iba na maaari nating puntahan, pag-explain-in kung ano yung kanilang ginagawa," he added.
(Maybe they point us to someone who can explain what they are doing here.)
On Thursday, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced the arrest of five Chinese nationals after their return from Palawan, where they allegedly conducted aerial surveillance.
The arrests took place on:
- Jan. 24 – Two suspects at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
- Jan. 25 – One suspect in Binondo, another in Intramuros, and their alleged leader in Dumaguete, where he lived with his Filipina wife
The NBI identified the suspects as a field commander, two intelligence operatives, a financier, and a member.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago revealed that the suspects allegedly used drones to capture close-up images of Philippine Navy vessels.
The arrests followed a previous operation that led to the capture of another Chinese national and two Filipinos for suspected espionage.
NBI Cybercrime Division chief Jeremy Lotoc said the bureau received a tip that a group of Chinese, posing as product buyers, were frequently seen in Ulugan Bay, Puerto Princesa, a strategic naval location. — DVM, GMA Integrated News