Retaliation? Arrest of Pinoys in China alarms NSC

MANILA, Philippines — The arrest in China of three Filipinos for alleged spying may be in retaliation for the recent arrest for espionage of several Chinese nationals in the Philippines, the National Security Council (NSC) said yesterday.

In a statement, NSC assistant director general Jonathan Malaya said the supposed confessions of the arrested Filipinos appear to have been obtained through coercion.

“The National Security Council is alarmed over charges of espionage made by the People’s Republic of China against three Filipinos arrested within Chinese territory,” he said.

Malaya noted that the arrested Filipinos are former recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program established under the sisterhood agreement between the provinces of Hainan and Palawan. The program provided scholarships to 50 residents of Palawan at the Hainan National University.

“They are ordinary Filipino citizens with no military training who merely went to China at the invitation of the Chinese government to study. They are law-abiding citizens with no criminal records and were vetted and screened by the Chinese government prior to their arrival there,” he said.

Malaya noted that the edited video released by Chinese media showing alleged “confessions” by the arrested Filipinos raises more questions than answers.

“A portion of one of the Filipino’s statement, while expressing regret, also notably portrayed China in a positive light. There was also mention of a ‘Philippine Intelligence Agency’ or ‘Philippine Spy Intelligence Services’ which is a non-existing government agency. The ‘confessions’ appear to be scripted, strongly suggesting that they were not made freely,” he said.

“Given the limited information released by Chinese media, the arrests can be seen as a retaliation for the series of legitimate arrests of Chinese agents and accomplices by

Philippine law enforcement and counter-intelligence agencies in recent months,” he added.

“We will continue to coordinate closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine embassy in Beijing to ensure that they receive appropriate legal support and that they are accorded due process, considering the gravity of the accusations made against them,” he said, adding that “the safety and well-being of the Filipinos involved is our top priority.”

He said the NSC is urging Beijing to respect the rights of the Filipinos and “afford them every opportunity to clear their names in the same way that the rights of Chinese nationals are respected here in the Philippines.”

“We urge the Filipino people to remain vigilant and discerning in the face of these accusations. Let us stand united in our commitment to truth, justice and adherence to international law, while prioritizing the well-being of our citizens abroad,” Malaya said.