By Shirin Bhandari | 2025-05-16

Recent arrests of Chinese nationals in connection with charges of espionage in the Philippines have raised concerns of China's sprawling intelligence operations in the country.

In April, Philippine police caught a Chinese national near the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) headquarters in Manila with an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catcher, a device capable of intercepting mobile phone signals.

The discovery heightened fears of foreign interference in the country's political process, with officials warning that the surveillance activity could compromise the integrity of the May 12 midterm elections.

The concerns were further amplified when police arrested two more Chinese nationals with similar equipment in Bulacan just three days before voters went to the polls.

Authorities announced they would file charges against the suspects under the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

In March, Philippine authorities arrested six Chinese nationals and a Filipino in Subic Bay for allegedly using drones to spy on naval assets near Grande Island.

The suspects posed as fishermen while conducting surveillance of sensitive military zones, said officials.

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in January expressed alarm over the arrest of the five Chinese men in Palawan the same month who were allegedly monitoring Coast Guard routes and military facilities using real-time surveillance equipment.

"We are very disturbed by anyone conducting such espionage operations against our military," Marcos said.

Widespread espionage

The recent arrests come amid a long history of alleged Chinese espionage in the Philippines.

Chinese nationals affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party have been accused of donating to local government agencies and police forces in what some say is an attempt at exerting influence.

Meanwhile, Chinese state-backed hackers have consistently targeted government agencies and critical infrastructure in the Philippines.

After a standoff in 2012 over Scarborough Shoal, multiple Philippine government bodies, including the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President, experienced a surge in cyberattacks.

Security analysts have attributed these intrusions to Chinese cyber units linked to the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The Department of Information and Communications Technology has confirmed a number of attacks originating from Chinese IP addresses, focusing on military communications, water services and energy systems.

Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which offer online gambling services to markets outside the country and often employ Chinese workers, have been a major point of concern.

Last July, President Marcos Jr. announced a ban on all POGOs in the Philippines, citing concerns about their involvement in various criminal activities.

Some POGOs were fronts for retired PLA personnel posing as civilians. authorities suspected. These establishments, sometimes located near military bases and key infrastructure in areas like Clark, Subic and Taguig, raised alarms among defense officials.

Some POGOs have been shut down, but many now operate clandestinely, fueling ongoing debates about national security risks and foreign influence.

Cracking down

China has denied all allegations of espionage, calling them as politically motivated.

But in light of the perceived threat, authorities have tightened security at critical sites like Malacañang Palace.

House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun in March called for stronger security measures for military installations and embassies, cautioning that foreign intelligence "could already be deeply embedded" in Philippine security infrastructure.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. urged lawmakers to pass reforms criminalizing peacetime espionage. Current espionage laws, which apply only during wartime, are outdated, said Teodoro last year.

"What's important now is that we penalize espionage during times of peace," Teodoro said in an interview, emphasizing the urgency of modernizing national security legislation to meet emerging threats.