THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday said 36 Chinese nationals who have been removed from its auxiliary force had no access to sensitive information and merely helped in the agency’s relief operations.
PCG spokesman Rear Adm. Armando Balilo made the statement a day after PCG commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan told a House hearing that the 36 have been “delisted” as members of the PCG auxiliary corps because they had no national security clearance.
During the hearing, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers expressed suspicion the Chinese “may be performing spying duties in the guise of being auxiliary force members.”
Balilo said the Chinese started joining the PCG auxiliary corps in 2015. They were recommended by Filipino-Chinese businessmen recommended so they can help in providing assistance to people during calamities.
“National security was not compromised here. They didn’t even report here at the headquarters and sensitive information was not passed on to them,” he said.
He said the Chinese did not also go to “sensitive areas” areas of the PCG.
“We are strict in implementing security measures to ensure our security is not compromised,” he said.
Balilo said there are other foreigners, including Americans and French, who have been accepted into the PCG auxiliary force. The other foreigners started joining the auxiliary force earlier than the Chinse, in 2013 or 2014, he said.
Balilo also said as required for acceptance, the Chinese and the other foreigners submitted NBI, police, and immigration clearances to the PCG. A national security clearance was not among documents required from these foreigner nationals, he said.
“It (national security clearance) was not a requirement before,” said Balilo, adding the Chinese were subjected to background check by the PCG before their acceptance to the auxiliary force.
Balilo said it was only during the time of Gavan when a national security clearance was required from foreigners who want to join the PCG as auxiliary force members. Gavan assumed the top PCG post in October last year.
“That was the requirement of the National Security Council,” said Balilo.
“It’s only the 36 Chinese nationals who were delisted,” he said adding they were removed because of the territorial dispute between Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea.
He said the 36 are from mainland China and had businesses in the Philippines long before their acceptance to the PCG auxiliary force.
Majority of them, Balilo said, entered the force in 2018 during the time of President Duterte whose administration had a good relationship with the Chinese government.
Asked if the PCG will accept Chinese nationals as auxiliary members if they secure a national security clearance, Balilo said, “The instruction of Admiral Gavan is to stop it for now — the inclusion of foreigners into the Philippine Coast Guard auxiliary.”
Balilo further said the 36 Chinese merely donated goods for Filipinos affected by calamities, and the rank given to them were merely “honorary.”
“We didn’t see any problem with that,” said Balilo, referring to the Chinese acceptance into the PCG auxiliary force. “But we submit to the wisdom of the national security cluster.
Thus, we delisted from the Coast Guard auxiliary,” said Balilo.
He said they did not monitor any untoward activity of the Chinese during their membership with the PCG auxiliary force “but we submit to the wisdom of the National Security Council since we are facing a problem in the West Philippine Sea.”
“Any possible hindrance to our operations is being removed, and we respect that. That’s why Admiral Gavan ordered the removal of the Chinese in December,” said Balilo.
Balilo said some of the Chinese felt bad about their delisting but they respected the PCG decision.
“But we have to be careful this time. If we don’t have a problem (in the West Philippine Sea), maybe this won’t be an issue. But we have an issue in the West Philippine Sea so we are just being careful,” said Balilo.
