The National Bureau of Investigation and the Armed Forces of the Philippines presented in Manila Thursday an alleged Chinese spy arrested in Dumaguete last Saturday, Jan. 25.
The suspect was one of five Chinese nationals arrested in various places in the country for suspicion of engaging in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in the Philippines.
The arrested Chinese national was identified as Cai Shaohuang, 52, said to be “field commander” of the four others, identified as Cheng Hai Tao, 36, Wu Cheng Ting, 38, Wang Yong Yi, 52, and Wu Chin Ren, 62.
Whether Cai was gathering information in Negros Oriental, or if he was just passing through, was not disclosed.
The president of the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce & Industry, businessman Edward Du, said he had not met the person from China who was arrested here in Dumaguete last week.
“We only deal with Mainland Chinese who have legitimate Philippine bank accounts,” Du said.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the suspects claimed to be members of civic groups Qiaoxing Volunteer Group of the Philippines, and of the Philippine-China Association of Promotion of Peace & Friendship Inc.
Santiago said they also posed as buyers of seafood from locals, particularly lobsters, and have even befriended local officials.
Also presented were surveillance equipment and supposed video footage from drones and military-grade high-resolution video cameras, disguised to look like civilian security closed circuit TVs.
AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said that data collected from the solar-powered video cameras were “being sent real-time” to a remote location.
“That could be why in the past, ships were always aware when we deploy Coast Guard and naval resupply ships,” Brawner said.
Photos recovered from the group include images on the Naval Detachment Oyster Bay in barangay Bahile in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, which is part of the Philippine Navy’s Naval Forces West positioned near the contested West Philippine Sea.
Other images show the Philippine Navy’s Del Pilar Class offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS 16), maps overlooking the Subic Bay International Airport, and the Naval Operating Base Subic.
There were also footages of the Philippine Coast Guard vessels BRP Teresa Magbanua, and BRP Gabriela Silang docked in the PCG Maritime Safety Service Unit NCR-Cluster, officials said.
General Brawner also said that this case is “just the tip of the iceberg” and that many individuals behind these kinds of activities have yet to be caught.
“We are in the process of also building up the intelligence against these other activities,” the AFP Chief added.
Brawner also admitted that the five suspects are related to the case of the alleged Chinese spy arrested on Jan. 17 in Makati City, along with two Filipino accomplices. (PNA)
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Photo Caption: The five alleged Chinese spies are presented Wednesday in a press conference by the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila. Standing rightmost, the alleged leader of the group, was arrested in Dumaguete City. (Video grab by Alex Pal)
