3 Filipino Defense Workers Caught Spying for China — 'At the End of the Day, It's Always Money'
Three Filipino defense personnel have been arrested for allegedly spying on behalf of China, in what the National Security Council (NSC) has called a "serious national security matter." The trio worked for the Department of Defense, the Philippine Navy, and the Philippine Coast Guard — and reportedly handed over sensitive military information to Chinese intelligence handlers over an extended period.
According to NSC spokesman Cornelio Valencia, the three low-level analysts provided their Chinese contacts with lists of military personnel and operational details about Philippine resupply missions in the contested South China Sea. The disputed waters have been a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing for years, with frequent confrontations between the two countries' vessels.
Valencia described the recruitment process as gradual — "co-optation over a period of time," he said, explaining that the targets initially didn't realize they were being groomed. "At the start you are not aware. And then you're surprised they're already asking you for sensitive data." As for why they cooperated, Valencia was blunt: "At the end of the day, it's always money."
The NSC confirmed that all three suspects have confessed and are now cooperating with authorities. Their identities, methods, and timelines remain classified to protect ongoing operations. The Chinese Embassy in Manila has not commented on the matter. This case follows a series of espionage-related arrests last year involving Chinese nationals caught using surveillance devices near Philippine military and government facilities.
The arrests underscore the escalating intelligence war between the Philippines and China amid their ongoing territorial disputes. The Rappler investigative report that prompted the NSC's disclosure revealed that Chinese handlers had specifically targeted information about maritime deployments and resupply missions — operations critical to the Philippines' assertion of sovereignty over its claimed territories in the South China Sea.
Source: Philstar.com
