NSC: More spies to be arrested

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THE NATIONAL Security Council (NSC) yesterday said government has a “solid case” against the alleged Chinese spy who was arrested by NBI agents in Makati City earlier this month.

More arrests are expected in the coming days as Chinese espionage operations in the Philippines are extensive, NSC Assistant Director General and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said in a forum.

The Chinese embassy has said the espionage allegations against Deng Yuanqing were “baseless speculation and accusation.” It urged the Philippines to base its judgment on facts and stop making “groundless speculations.”

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Deng’s Filipina wife and his sister have also denied that Deng is a Chinese spy.

“There were statements made by the embassy of China that supposedly, the accusations are baseless and we should stop hyping the issue. On the part of the National Security Council, what we would like to say is that we have a solid case against the Chinese agent or spy that we arrested,” said Malaya.

Malaya said authorities conducted extensive case buildup and surveillance against Deng prior to his arrest on January 17 with two Filipinos who are allegedly his cohorts.

“We identified the areas where he went to, places of significant military importance to us, significant strategic locations. He conducted surveillance (operations) there,” Malaya said.

“Let me emphasize also that they (Deng and his cohorts) were caught red-handed which in legal parlance is in flagrante delicto. They were in caught in possession of surveillance equipment,” said Malaya.

Malaya said charges for violation of the espionage act and cybercrime law have been filed.

“This individual will have his day in court… He will have his opportunity (to defend himself) but insofar as the government is concerned, we have a very solid case and we have all the necessary evidence to prove his culpability,” he said.

‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’

Malaya said the government is aware of the extent of China’s surveillance operations in the Philippines, adding that Deng’s case is just the “tip of the iceberg.”

“We have seen the extensive operations that they have been doing in the Philippines and slowly we are able to disrupt and stop all these activities in our country,” he said.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg and there will be more arrests in the coming days… We’ll probably have announcements in the next few days about other individuals who we also caught conducting intelligence operations in the Philippines,” he added.

Malaya and Armed Forces spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla confirmed reports about the recent arrest of Chinese nationals allegedly engaged in espionage activities in Palawan.

The reports said the two suspects, who claimed to be Taiwanese tourists, took pictures of Philippine Coast Guard vessels. The reports also said the suspects have links with Deng.

“As I earlier said, there will be announcements here in the next few days. What I can say right now is that there will be more arrests,” said Malaya.

“And this includes what happened there in Palawan because we have ramped up our counter-intelligence efforts and because of that, we’re slowly unraveling the conspiracy, this operation that’s being done by foreign actors to conduct espionage in the Philippines,” he added.

Malaya declined to give details about the arrest in Palawan, saying he does not want to preempt investigations being conducted by the NBI and the Department of justice.

“But yes we are aware (of the arrest in Palawan).  In fact, we are part of the team that’s looking into this and that we expect more arrests in the coming days because you know, when you have this type of individual arrested, this leads to another individual, to another individual because these are cells so to speak,” he said.

Padilla said the suspects also reportedly took pictures of Philippine Navy assets.

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“We are looking at all of these things and trying to see how all of these incidents fit into a grand plan,” she said, referring to China’s espionage activities in the Philippines.

Vessels of the Chinese Coast Guard have been harassing and bullying ships of the Philippine Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea and has been growing more aggressive against Philippines ships, even those inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

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