Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 10) — House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo on Thursday warned about possible security threat after crew members of Chinese vessels docked in Manila Bay were seen being transported to areas around the bay.
Citing information from House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Tulfo told CNN Philippines’ The Source his team conducted a surveillance around the Manila Bay area.
“I have videos na yung Manila Bay right now parang nakaparada ‘yung Chinese militia vessels… Ito ngayon naging concern ni Speaker Romualdez na napakarami raw barko diyan ng China and then he’s been receiving reports that the crews of these vessels they come down at night to party in Pasay, Roxas Boulevard, and MOA (Mall of Asia),” Tulfo said.
[Translation: I have videos showing Chinese militia vessels docked in Manila Bay now. This is now the concern of Speaker Romualdez because they are so many and then he’s been receiving reports that the crews of these vessels they come down at night to party in Pasay, Roxas Boulevard, and MOA.]
“And I said Sir baka hindi po. What if members ito ng People’s Liberation Army or intelligence community ng China getting information right now sa Metro Manila then nalalagay sa alanganin ang ating national security o baka na-compromise na,” he added.
[Translation: And I said Sir maybe no. What if they are members of the People’s Liberation Army or intelligence community of China getting information in Metro Manila then that threatens our national security or maybe it was already compromised.]
Tulfo along with other congressmen from ACT-CIS Party-list filed House Resolution no. 1171 calling for an inquiry to look into the security implications and other possible impacts of the presence of all foreign ships in Manila Bay.
Based on the surveillance his team conducted, Tulfo said up to 60 Chinese vessels are in Manila Bay. He noted these are involved in dredging and reclamation activities in the area and have been there for several months already.
Lawmakers earlier expressed concerns over the Manila Bay reclamation project involving Chinese Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), which is also linked to the building of artificial islands in the South China Sea.
Assuming that each ship has 20 personnel, it means there are over 1,000 Chinese crew who are possibly freely going to Philippine land. They use smaller boats of Filipinos for a fee so they can be transported, Tulfo said.
While the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Immigration are pointing fingers at each other on who should really monitor these vessels, the latter has said that the Chinese crew cannot disembark because they do not have working visas, he added.
