The three Filipinos recently arrested in China over alleged espionage activities could have been victims of retaliation.
This, after the Philippines’ National Security Council (NSC) said the arrest in China was a response to the recent legitimate arrests of Chinese nationals in the country over the same offense.
In a statement released over the weekend, NSC assistant director Gen. Jonathan Malaya expressed alarm over the arrests of what he said were “ordinary Filipino citizens with no military training.”
The trio were studying in China on government scholarships at the time of their arrest.
The NSC raised serious concerns over the video evidence released by Chinese media showing the arrested Filipinos confessing to their supposed crime.
Malaya said the video footage appeared to be scripted and “raised more questions than answers.”
Malaya said: “A portion of one of the Filipinos’ statements, while expressing regret, also notably portrayed China in a positive light.”
There was even mention of a non-existent “Philippine Intelligence Agency,” or “Philippine Spy Intelligence Services” in the video, according to Malaya.
“The ‘confessions’ appear to be scripted, strongly suggesting that they were not made freely,” he said.
The three Filipinos, whose names were not released, were recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program established under a sisterhood agreement between the Chinese province and the province of Palawan.
The program provided scholarships for 50 students from Palawan to study at the Hainan National University.
Malaya said, “They are law-abiding citizens with no criminal records and were vetted and screened by the Chinese government prior to their arrival there.”
They merely went to China at the invitation of the Chinese government to study, according to Malaya.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was providing legal support for the three Filipinos.
DFA spokesperson Ambassador Teresita Daza said the department had been “formally made aware” of the allegations against the three Filipinos and added that protecting the rights and interests of the detained Filipinos was a “prime priority” of the government.
She said the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou “is providing all necessary assistance, including appropriate legal support.”
The ambassador also said that the DFA had already communicated with the Chinese government “to ensure that these allegations are tried with due process and full respect to the rights of the said Filipinos in accordance with domestic law.”
The NSC had linked the arrests to recent security operations in the Philippines that led to the arrests of Chinese nationals, and which may have prompted the alleged retaliation.
In a statement, the NSC said: “We urge the Chinese government to respect the rights and afford them every opportunity to clear their names in the same way that the rights of Chinese nationals are respected here in the Philippines.”
The NSC also called on Filipinos to “remain vigilant and discerning” and to “stand united in our commitment to truth, justice and adherence to international law while prioritizing the well-being of our citizens abroad.”
Last week, China said it had “destroyed” an intelligence network set up by the Philippine espionage agency and arrested three spies from the country.
