Spies in Tubbataha? No evidence so far

MANILA, Philippines - Authorities have yet to find evidence to confirm suspicions that 12 Chinese nationals apprehended last week on a ship that got stuck in Tubbataha Reef are spies, and not fishermen.

Investigators are wondering why the ship did not contain marine species and was in a restricted area.

"There are no indicators yet (that the 12 Chinese are spies). But it is puzzling why these fishermen are in Tubbataha, which is not a fishing area," a military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said yesterday.

"It was supposed to be a fishing boat but they do not have a container for ice, they do not have ice and they do not have any catch. These things do not reconcile," the official said.

Radio units had been recovered from the Chinese vessel Min Long Yu but no spy equipment was found.

The senior military officer said they could not get details from the Chinese nationals since they could not speak English.

He, however, doubted the claim that all the apprehended Chinese could not speak English.

The apprehended Chinese are in their 20s and 30s.

Suspicions that they are spies were raised after the marine park rangers who apprehended them did not find facilities for fish storage in their boat.

Observers said the Chinese nationals have flawless skin and do not look like fishermen.

Reports that the Chinese nationals tried to bribe marine park rangers with $2,400 or P98, 000 also raised doubts about their real agenda.

Marine park rangers reported seeing fishing nets on board the steel-hulled vessel but no fish was found.

The incident happened days after the remnants of what used to be the US warship USS Guardian had been completely removed from the area.

The Chinese fishermen are facing cases for violating various provisions of the Tubbataha Act of 2009. These include unauthorized entry, damage to reefs, destroying and disturbing resources, and poaching.

DND wants cooperation in probe

The Department of National Defense expects all related agencies to cooperate in the probe into the Tubbataha incident.

"The cooperation of all institutions and appropriate entities is expected in the investigation of this incident," defense department spokesman Peter Galvez said in a phone interview.

Galvez said all circumstances surrounding the apprehension of the Chinese would be considered in the probe.

On Friday, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said intelligence units would investigate the Tubbataha incident, including the true identities of the Chinese nationals in the boat.

Smugglers?

However, a report from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the Min Long Yu yielded several boxes of frozen anteater pangolin or "balintong" in one of its cargo holds, indicating the Chinese nationals could be engaged in smuggling of the vanishing species.

Lt. Commander Armand Balilo, PCG spokesman, said while the PCG Palawan District Station has yet to inform them of the total number of boxes of frozen anteaters, one box contained 25 to 30 kilos of frozen anteaters.

Anteaters are said to be a much sought after delicacy in China and believed to have medicinal and aphrodisiac properties.