A Filipino accused of espionage for China revealed that he was asked to provide sensitive information on Philippine military operations in the West Philippine Sea, including details related to the annual Balikatan exercises with the United States.
The suspect, identified only by the alias “Danny,” is one of three Filipinos arrested over alleged spying activities. He said he initially believed he was communicating with an American journalist seeking information.
“They fronted themselves as media. Naturally, I know that as media practitioners, they would always want to be the first to get the information,” he said.
Danny identified his handler by the alias “Peter,” who was initially introduced to him as a Korean national based in the United States.
According to Danny, he was tasked to provide classified information, including details on Philippine Navy and Coast Guard rotation and resupply missions, as well as operational aspects of the Balikatan exercises, a joint military drill conducted annually with U.S. forces.
Balikatan exercises, which sometimes involve allied nations such as Australia and Japan, are held in various locations, including Philippine waters in the West Philippine Sea, to enhance joint defense and maritime security capabilities.
“He was really interested in the Balikatan. But I hesitated, so I withheld the information because I realized these involve sensitive details, such as the coordinates of the deployments,” Danny said.
Danny was apprehended in June 2025 and has since been under the custody of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in a secure military facility. He also claimed that his handler offered to smuggle him out of the country after authorities uncovered their operation.
“I got scared about what they could do with me because I am aware they are a large organization,” he added.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the arrest of Danny and his alleged accomplices involved a complex intelligence operation that required extensive surveillance and thousands of man-hours.
“The arrest of these three was a very complicated operation. It took thousands of man-hours, and we had to conduct extensive surveillance on their activities,” he said.
The AFP later identified “Peter” as a Chinese national who entered the Philippines in December 2024. Authorities also conducted a counter-intelligence operation in 2025 in an attempt to lure him back into the country.
“Peter warned me that meeting him again could be dangerous. Perhaps he already sensed that I was in AFP custody,” Danny said.
The military has since warned the public to remain vigilant against foreign individuals posing as journalists or researchers to obtain sensitive information.
Among the red flags cited were offers of payment for information readily available online, unusually high compensation, and the use of unfamiliar applications or platforms to transmit data.
