The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has captured five more suspected Chinese spies believed to be spying on the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Philippine Navy in Palawan, especially the resupply missions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). According to the NBI, the group installed high-resolution solar-powered cameras in strategic areas to monitor the movements of PCG ships. Because of this, it is possible that the China Coast Guard knows the behavior of the Philippine ships even before they reach the WPS.
Related to Deng
In the press conference, the NBI presented the five suspects identified as:
- Cai Shaohuang, 52
- Wang Yong Yi, 52
- Wu Jun Ren, 62
- Wu Chengting, 38
- Chen Haitao, 36
They were arrested on January 24 and 25 and are facing charges of violation of Commonwealth Act No. 616 (Anti-Espionage Law of 1941) and Republic Act No. 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).
According to the NBI, these five are related to Deng Yuanqing, 39, is the suspected Chinese spy who was arrested on January 17 in Makati City along with two Filipinos.
Deng and his accomplices were caught allegedly using a device to map important facilities in the country, including military sites and power installations.
Aside from Palawan, the group also has surveillance cameras set up in several high-rise buildings in Metro Manila to monitor the exit and entry of PCG ships in Manila Bay. Because of this, they allegedly have information about the movement of Philippine troops and ships, which can be used in their own plans in the future.
According to the Bureau of Immigration, the captured Chinese spies have been living in the Philippines for a long time—some of them have been in the country since 2002. Some work with working visas, and others have Filipino spouses. The NBI also denied the claims that Deng was just an ordinary worker, because there is evidence that he graduated from a military school in China and that the equipment they confiscated was military-grade.
