Espionage real, says lawmaker

The Department of National Defense (DND) is being urged to further escalate security and intelligence efforts to combat alarming foreign espionage activities in the country, including the recent arrest of two Chinese nationals allegedly conducting illegal surveillance at military and police camps.

House Assistant Majority Leader Jefferson Khonghun, chairperson of the Special Committee on Bases Conversion, sounded the alarm on Sunday about reports of foreign intelligence operations, suspecting they may already be “deeply embedded within national security infrastructures.”

"This is not a simple case of foreigners just being curious about our government. They have an intention, a plan," Khonghun said. "We cannot shrug it off. We need to ensure that we have enough defense against spying by other countries."

The urgent call came nearly a week after authorities captured two Chinese nationals in Malate, Manila, along with three Filipino accomplices for allegedly conducting clandestine operations using an "IMSI catcher."

An IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) catcher is a device that mimics a cell tower and convinces nearby phones to connect to it, allowing them to intercept messages within a 1-3 kilometer radius.

The National Bureau of Investigation later identified the Filipinos who were reportedly paid up to P3,000 daily for a month to drive the Chinese nationals to key areas in Manila, including Malacañang, Villamor Airbase, Camp Aguinaldo, Camp Crame, and the US Embassy.

The incident is part of a series of espionage-related arrests involving Chinese nationals amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China over the disputed West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In January, five Chinese nationals were arrested for allegedly monitoring Philippine Coast Guard and Navy operations in Palawan, where they had installed high-resolution, solar-powered cameras aimed at critical maritime activities.

Authorities investigating the recent incident found unauthorized surveillance devices and detailed maps of restricted government zones, indicating a coordinated effort to gather sensitive information.

The country's allies, including the US, Australia, and Japan, have condemned China's alleged provocations in the WPS.

Khonghun emphasized that while addressing foreign actors is important, the priority should be reviewing internal security protocols, modernizing counterintelligence, and improving coordination among agencies to effectively curb spying activities.

"It's not just about physical surveillance — we need more effective cyber-defense, better intelligence-sharing, and a higher level of security in our military and government offices," the Zambales congressman said.

He added, "We are not a toy of other countries. We have to show that we have fangs, that we can defend ourselves."

China continues to assert territorial claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, including the WPS, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that declared its sovereignty claims baseless. The ruling affirmed the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone in the WPS.

However, Chinese vessels continue to disregard the ruling, frequently attacking Philippine resupply boats and engaging in other aggressive actions.

The ongoing confrontations persist despite a July agreement between the two nations to de-escalate tensions in the contested waters.