Gov't urged: Beef up intel vs China spies

The Philippines should brace for the worst and expect more intense espionage activities by Chinese spies amid an escalating conflict with China over the West Philippine Sea, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian warned yesterday.

- By MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

In an interview with radio dwIZ, Gatchalian said it was no longer surprising that Chinese sleeper agents were arrested by authorities at a time when the Philippines was upping the ante in asserting its sovereign rights in the South China Sea and defying the bullying and hostile acts of China Coast Guard vessels in the country's territorial waters.

He echoed the concern of President Marcos, who said he was "very disturbed" about the reported arrests by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of six suspected Chinese sleeper agents.

Deng Yuanqing and his two Filipino cohorts were arrested on Jan. 17 in Makati in possession of alleged espionage equipment for mapping and transmitting data on military camps and infrastructure.

Deng's accomplices - Cai Shaohuang, Wang Yong Yi, Wu Chin Ren, Wu Cheng Ting and Cheng Hai Tao - were arrested days later on charges of gathering information on the rotation and resupply missions of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Palawan, where they allegedly set up surveillance cameras and posed as tourists to map naval detachments and coast guard stations.