‘Foreign power’ attempting to map out Philippines, military says

MANILA – The Philippine military said a “foreign power” could be attempting to map out the South-east Asian nation, following the arrest of a suspected Chinese spy last week and the

recovery of several drones

in its waters.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has observed a “pattern” in these recent developments, along with reports of foreign nationals using fake IDs and birth certificates, Rear-Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a spokesman for the navy, said at a briefing on Jan 21.

“There now seems to be a deliberate and calculated move to map out the country by a foreign power,” he said.

While he declined to provide details pending investigations, he pointed out that the recently arrested foreign national is of Chinese origin.

Manila is raising concerns over suspected espionage activities, as tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea persist.

The presence of a huge Chinese ship – known as “The Monster” – near Philippine shores has recently emerged as a new source of friction in the maritime dispute between the two nations.

The suspected Chinese spy

held trips across the main island of Luzon for over a month from December and surveyed areas, including military installations, ports, and communication and power grids, Colonel Francel Padilla, a spokeswoman for the Armed Forces, said in the same briefing.

Rear-Adm Trinidad said: “Any foreign power who would like to take advantage of a country would need information – political, economic and military information.”

China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrested Chinese spy and retrieved drones.

The discovery of a local official with a “dubious” background could also be linked to these incidents, Rear-Adm Trinidad said, in an apparent reference to the case of

embattled former mayor Alice Guo

.

The politician has maintained that she is a Filipino citizen, and has denied allegations of money laundering and human trafficking through China-centric online casinos.

Philippine lawmakers should prioritise amendments to the nation’s anti-espionage law to address evolving security threats, National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said in a separate statement.

The arrest of the suspected Chinese spy and his cohorts “is a stark reminder of the persistent threats posed by foreign interference”, he added. BLOOMBERG