Metro Manila, Philippines – The Chinese arrested on suspicion of being spies have been staying in the Philippines for decades, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Sunday, Feb. 2.
The BI said the alleged spies have seemingly “embedded themselves to society.”
“Some have been here as early as 2002… They have been holding legal statuses, and have lived in the country for a long time before they were found to be doing suspicious activities by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado stated.Viado said some of the alleged spies had working visas linked to firms in the cities of Manila and San Juan. Others, meanwhile, were married to Filipinas.
Last month, authorities apprehended Deng Yuanqing, along with two Filipino accomplices, in Makati City after seizing spying equipment.
Five supposed Chinese spies were also caught in Palawan after taking a video of a Philippine Coast Guard vessel in the area.
China dismissed the accusations as baseless.
The National Security Council said more arrests are coming.
READ: More Chinese spies operating in PH – Gatchalian
