Suspected Chinese spies posing as Taiwanese tourists have been arrested for allegedly taking photographs of Philippine Coast Guard ships, local media reported.
The suspected spies stayed at a resort in Palawan, where from a secluded location they used their phones to record coast guard ships entering and leaving a base, Philippine TV network GMA said on Wednesday.
Palawan is near the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) and other disputed areas of the South China Sea, where tensions have been on the rise between China and the Philippines.
The suspects allegedly also used drones without permission and installed cameras on coconut trees in the resort to monitor ships’ activity, local witnesses said.
One of the alleged suspects was caught on camera by local residents, but the suspects denied the accusations.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr said that photographs of military bases, facilities and ships were found on the suspect’s phone.
Philippine National Bureau of Investigation Director Jaime Santiago said that authorities have launched a nationwide search for the suspects’ accomplices.
Another Chinese man, surnamed Deng (鄧), and two Filipino accomplices were arrested on Jan. 17 in Makati, Metro Manila, for engaging in spying activities, local authorities said.
Deng allegedly drove around Manila and Luzon island with surveillance equipment in his car, collecting information on sensitive buildings and bases, authorities said.
Deng’s wife and the Chinese embassy in the Philippines have denied the accusations.
Philippine National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya was quoted by the Philippine News Agency in a report on Wednesday that the government has a “solid” case against Deng, who was caught “red-handed.”
“There will be more arrests,” Malaya added, as Manila continues its crackdown on counterintelligence operations.