The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said espionage-related incidents have shown a persistent pattern over the past two years, as maritime tensions with China in the West Philippine Sea continue.
Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, cited the recent arrests of suspected Chinese spies in Zambales and Bohol as part of what he described as a growing trend.
“What happened recently follows a trend of these people who were arrested, allegedly involving espionage,” Trinidad told reporters during a regular briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
“Yes, there’s a trend.”
Authorities earlier arrested a Mongolian national and a graduating pilot student in Iba, Zambales, who were later found to have military backgrounds linked to the People’s Liberation Army, including a jet fighter license from the PLA Air Force Aviation University.
In a separate operation, a Chinese national surnamed “Guo,” who was carrying a Chinese passport and allegedly misrepresented himself as a Filipino, was apprehended in Panglao, Bohol.
Trinidad said the AFP has been supporting law enforcement agencies in countering espionage activities, in line with the military’s shift toward the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).
“These are the results of our shift to CADC — to look not only at the internal situation but even external threats and external actors,” he said.
