The Armed Forces of the Philippines stated that they have recently discovered a possible connection between the arrest of a Chinese citizen suspected of espionage, the discovery of an underwater drone in Philippine waters, the case of the dismissed mayor of Tarlac City, Alice Guo, and the arrest of foreigners with forged IDs.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy in the West Philippine Sea, expressed that from a broader perspective, the military suspects that foreign powers might be plotting against the situation in the Philippines.
A Chinese citizen and two Filipino "accomplices" arrested for alleged espionage
"This Chinese citizen might just be an individual case, but if we look further, last month we received a drone from fishermen, and the fifth person is currently undergoing forensic examination. If we step back further, we find a local government official with a suspicious background; foreigners were arrested with fake government IDs," Trinidad told reporters at a press conference held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Tuesday.
"If you look at the various national power incidents happening in this country and try to connect these dots, you will find that there seems to be a foreign power deliberately and meticulously planning against this country," he continued. "This is reported by AFP. We are facing this situation and are taking appropriate actions," he added.
When asked if China was behind all these incidents, Trinidad said he did not want to speculate, but added that the military "sees a pattern."
"There is a pattern, and we only notice this pattern when we start looking at a larger scope and connecting the dots. These issues have not yet posed a threat to national security, but they may pose risks to public safety and peace and order," Trinidad pointed out.
"Any foreign power that wants to exploit this country needs political, economic, and military information. In today's world, whether it's politics, economics, or military, information is indispensable," he continued.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) stated that a Chinese citizen believed to be a spy and two Filipinos were arrested for suspected surveillance activities in the country.
The NBI said that the Chinese and his Filipino "accomplices" frequently visited military camps, police camps, power plants, local government offices, ports, airports, and shopping centers on Luzon Island. The group also visited sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The National Bureau of Investigation added that they possessed equipment capable of creating 3D images of target structures and generating coordinates.
Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla, spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, stated that the military is reviewing and restructuring its framework to enhance its capabilities, as part of the efforts to strengthen the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).
"This includes initiating the Armed Forces of the Philippines Intelligence Command to improve intelligence operations, and restructuring the Armed Forces of the Philippines Cyber Command to address new threats in the cyber domain," Padilla told reporters at the weekly press conference held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
"These initiatives ensure that the Armed Forces of the Philippines are always ready to effectively address modern security challenges," she added.
Padilla said that the Philippine Armed Forces use advanced technologies such as drones and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems to protect key areas. To ensure security, military camps and critical facilities have also implemented stricter procedures in line with the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).
"As far as the Armed Forces of the Philippines are concerned, we are diligently detecting the presence of these forces and preventing them from taking any further actions," Padilla said. "Our systems are in place. We are not worried about national security issues."
After suspected China-supported cyber attacks, the Armed Forces of the Philippines remained silent on reports of "data theft"
"We can assure the public that the Armed Forces of the Philippines are making every effort to uncover all these matters," she said.
Officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines urged Filipinos to remain vigilant and actively participate in ensuring national security.
