Jamaine Punzalan

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<div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABTrmrVAl_QAri_U&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script></div><p>MANILA <strong>(2nd UPDATE) </strong>— Some of the five Chinese nationals arrested for suspected espionage in Palawan and in Manila had posed as tourists, a local official said Thursday.</p><p>The suspected spies posed as Taiwanese tourists and set up CCTV cameras facing the sea in Palawan, Provincial Board member Ryan Maminta said.</p><p>“Yun po ang impormasyon na nakarating sa amin: na may mga aktibidad sila katulad ng pagkuha ng videos at hindi lang yun, paglalagay ng CCTV camera sa mga lugar. Tapos ang kanilang mga posing ay mga turista — hindi nga Chinese tourists — kundi Taiwanese tourist dito sa aming lalawigan,” he told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/29/nbi-arrests-5-chinese-nationals-suspected-of-espionage-1850">NBI arrests 5 Chinese nationals suspected of espionage</a></div><p>In a separate statement, the National Bureau of Investigation said the group of Chinese nationals was monitored in Barangay Buenavista in Puerto Princesa City, posing as buyers of marine products and roaming around the city.</p><p>The Chinese nationals were identified as members of the Qiaoxing Volunteer Group of the Philippines, as well as the Philippine China Association of Promotion of Peace and Friendship, Inc.</p><p>One of the suspects was also recorded taking a video of Philippine Coast Guard ships, the NBI said Wednesday.</p><p>Upon their arrest, officials found photos of Coast Guard station, vessels, small navy crafts and assets, as well as fooatges of PCG vessels BRP Teresa Magbanua and BRP Gabriela Silang, in their mobile devices.</p><p>National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Jaime Santiago told a news conference the men used a drone to document goings-on at a naval detachment, coast guard ships, an air base, a naval base, and a dockyard in Palawan province, the closest major land mass to the Spratlys.</p><p>&quot;We consider them very dangerous to national security because of course, if this falls into other hands, this could be very dangerous for our personnel in the base and also those on board our ships,&quot; Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner told the news conference.</p><p>Two other Chinese men were arrested elsewhere in Manila and another in the central city of Dumaguete last week, Santiago said.</p><p>NBI cybercrime unit chief Jeremy Lotoc said Thursday an unnamed &quot;foreign national&quot; was giving orders to Chinese software engineer Deng Yuanqing, who was detained earlier this month.</p><p>Some of the suspects have been living in the Philippines since 2002 and did not have any criminal records, immigration bureau spokeswoman Dana Sandoval told the news conference.</p><p>The arrests come as maritime confrontations between the Philippines and China, over contested reefs and waters in the West Philippine Sea, have escalated in recent months.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/29/pcg-confronts-another-chinese-ship-off-zambales-coast-0130">PCG confronts another Chinese ship off Zambales coast</a></div><p>China claims most of the strategic waterway despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/28/ph-army-to-use-us-typhon-missile-system-in-upcoming-training-1549">Philippines to train with US Typhon missile system in February</a></div><div><strong>LINK TO OTHER SUSPECTS? </strong></div><p>Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya of the National Security Council said authorities were looking into whether the suspects were linked to a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/20/1-chinese-national-2-filipino-cohorts-arrested-for-alleged-espionage-1430">Chinese software engineer who was arrested</a> this month for allegedly spying on Filipino military and police camps.</p><p>The Chinese software engineer, identified as Deng Yuanqing, and his two Filipino drivers were arrested last week as part of counter-espionage operations that began last month, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Jaime Santiago told a news conference.</p><p>He alleged that Deng was affiliated with a Chinese university controlled by the People&#x27;s Liberation Army and was part of a team sent to &quot;conduct espionage in our territory&quot;.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/27/wife-of-arrested-chinese-national-denies-he-is-a-spy-1217">Wife of arrested Chinese national denies he is a spy</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/28/afp-backs-findings-on-alleged-chinese-spy-despite-wife-s-denial-1350">AFP backs findings on alleged Chinese spy despite wife&#x27;s denial</a></div><p>The Chinese embassy in Manila did not respond immediately to requests for comment on the arrest and allegations.</p><p>The NBI&#x27;s cybercrime chief Jeremy Lotoc said Deng had made frequent visits to &quot;critical infrastructure, specifically military camps, local government offices, power plants, police camps, stations, even shopping malls&quot;.</p><p>&quot;They were basically collecting data and they have this remote application which transmits outside the country in real time data that they collected in our country,&quot; Lotoc said.</p><p>Lotoc said it was &quot;alarming&quot; because the information being transmitted could include geographical coordinates and topography.</p><p>Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner said it was possible the information &quot;could be used for military targeting purposes&quot;.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/21/afp-sees-move-to-map-out-ph-by-foreign-power-after-reported-espionage-underwater-drones-1509">AFP says ‘foreign power’ mapping out Philippines</a></div><p>Lotoc said Deng had been in the Philippines for five years and was part of a group that also included hardware engineers and a financier who were still &quot;at large&quot;.</p><p>The group received funding of P1.5 million a week via &quot;shell companies&quot;, he said.</p><div><strong>— With reports from Agence France-Presse </strong></div>

<p>Some of the five Chinese nationals arrested for suspected espionage in Palawan and in Manila had posed as tourists, a local official said Thursday.</p>

Some of the five Chinese nationals arrested for suspected espionage in Palawan and in Manila had posed as tourists, a local official said Thursday.

Alleged Chinese spies posed as tourists in Palawan: official

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Alleged Chinese spies posed as tourists in Palawan: official

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 30, 2025 09:20 AM PHT

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Updated Jan 30, 2025 05:40 PM PHT

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