Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday called for closer scrutiny of foreign-linked educational and cultural exchange programs following an investigation linking China's Jinan University to the training of Chinese-language teachers in the Philippines.

Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Teodoro said the findings raise concerns that some academic exchange programs could be serving purposes beyond cultural cooperation.

"Ito, malaking ebidensya na na itong mga eskwelahan ay ginagamit sa mali," Teodoro said.

His remarks came after a report by the SeaLight Foundation, a maritime transparency initiative that monitors Beijing's activities at sea and in the information space, identified the state-run university in Guangdong as the largest training destination for Chinese-language teachers serving Chinese-Filipino schools in the country.

The report also noted that scholars from Jinan University had previously claimed that Batanes belongs to China.

According to SeaLight, Jinan University is part of a broader network linked to the Chinese Communist Party's United Front system, which the report said is involved in Chinese-language teacher training, language testing, curriculum development, internships, and job placement in the Philippines.

Teodoro stressed that while he supports international academic cooperation, the government must remain vigilant against possible foreign influence, disinformation, and misinformation.

"Sinasabi ko lang, kung makitungo tayo, dapat alam natin na baka may masamang pakay," he said.

SeaLight said its investigation was based on Chinese state media reports, announcements from the Chinese Embassy in Manila, institutional records, and Chinese-language media in the Philippines.

The report alleged that organizations linked to the CCP's United Front system have become primary intermediaries between mainland Chinese institutions and the Philippines' Chinese-language education sector, with efforts to expand their reach into mainstream classrooms.

As of Wednesday, Jinan University and the Chinese Embassy in Manila had not publicly responded to the allegations raised in the SeaLight investigation.