President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. voiced alarm on Friday following the arrest of five Chinese nationals suspected of conducting surveillance on Philippine military assets in Palawan.
In a GMA News report, Marcos confirmed the suspects’ detention, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. “Of course, we are very disturbed by anyone carrying out espionage operations against our military,” he said.
Authorities are still investigating the full extent of the suspects’ activities. Marcos noted that some of them had been in the country for an extended period, with at least one having married a Filipina. He described them as potential “sleepers” who had blended into the local community before allegedly engaging in intelligence-gathering operations.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) disclosed that the five suspects were apprehended shortly after returning from Palawan, where they had allegedly conducted aerial surveillance. Two were arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on January 24, while three others—including their alleged leader—were caught in different locations the next day.
According to NBI Director Jaime Santiago, the group consisted of a field commander, two intelligence operatives, a financier, and a member. Investigators suspect they used drones to capture close-up images of Philippine Navy vessels.
The arrests followed a previous crackdown on espionage that led to the capture of another Chinese national and two Filipino accomplices. The NBI Cybercrime Division had earlier received reports that a group of Chinese individuals frequently visited Ulugan Bay, a key naval area in Puerto Princesa, under the guise of being product buyers.
