Ched Rick Gatchalian

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Surveillance footages of naval ships recovered from alleged spies in Subic Bay

Karen De Guzman

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA— The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Wednesday that it had recovered photographs and videos of naval ships, including those of foreign navies, from electronic devices saized from alleged foreign spies in Subic Bay.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1904746815100273010&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-03-26T05%3A38%3A39.167633%3A44d9af5e-db62-4fdf-9f0e-6f10c76edaa4%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=ccf3e21eb720cdbc03f3f7e78577fd263a873da6&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:648px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1904746815100273010"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>The seven suspects—five Chinese nationals, one Cambodian, and one Filipino—were arrested on March 19 on Grande Island. </p><p>They had been under surveillance for suspicious activities involving the gathering of sensitive data related to critical infrastructure.</p><p>Counterintelligence efforts revealed that the suspects were posing as recreational fishers while on the island.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/25/philippines-arrests-two-more-chinese-nationals-over-spying-1759">Philippines arrests two more Chinese nationals over spying</a></div><p>Witnesses reported that the group used high-tech drones under the pretext of transporting fishing bait. Authorities allege they were actually conducting surveillance on naval assets passing through Grande Island.</p><p>&quot;During the operation, we also recovered some of the sample videos and photos, including a photo of a naval vessel na pag-aari po ng US (owned by the US), as well as surveillance photos dun sa ating naval operating base (of our naval operating base),&quot; Angluben added.</p><p>The investigation found that the materials were sent to various Chinese personalities through social media platforms.</p><div><strong>NBI ALARMED BY ESPIONAGE IN SUBIC</strong></div><p>Given the island&#x27;s strategic location, it allows the group to monitor naval assets entering and exiting Subic Bay during maritime patrols or joint naval exercises in the West Philippine Sea. </p><p>“This is very disturbing, this is getting alarming to all of us,” NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin emphasized.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/2/house-leader-urges-beefed-up-security-amid-threat-of-alleged-chinese-spies-1647">House leader urges beefed up security amid threat of alleged Chinese spies</a></div><p>“The images and the contents of the gadgets recovered are being studied and reviewed carefully by our forensic laboratory. We will conduct a pattern analysis to determine whether this is connected to previous espionage arrests,” Lavin said.</p><p>The NBI is also working with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to investigate the resort leased to a foreign corporation.</p><p>Angluben said the island used to be open to the general public but access has been restricted since “it was transferred [to a] foreign company, foreign lessor.&quot;</p>

<p>The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) revealed on Wednesday that it had recovered photographs and videos of naval ships from the seized electronic devices of alleged foreign spies in Subic Bay.</p>

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) revealed on Wednesday that it had recovered photographs and videos of naval ships from the seized electronic devices of alleged foreign spies in Subic Bay.

NBI in surveillance footage of naval ships in alleged spies' gadgets

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NBI in surveillance footage of naval ships in alleged spies' gadgets

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 26, 2025 02:46 PM PHT

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