Manila [Philippines], March 27 : Philippine authorities revealed the capture of six Chinese nationals and one Filipino, who were suspected of spying on US and Philippine navy ships near the entrance of the strategically important Subic Bay, as reported by Radio Free Asia.
The arrest of the Chinese suspects, whom authorities claimed were pretending to be fishermen, increased the total number of Chinese nationals detained in the Philippines this year for alleged espionage to 12. These incidents have occurred amid growing tensions between Manila and Beijing over the disputed South China Sea, RFA reported.
According to RFA, the seven suspects were apprehended after Philippine military intelligence informed the National Bureau of Investigation about "foreign nationals believed to be conducting covert intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities" near Grande Island at the entrance of Subic Bay, according to an NBI statement released on Wednesday.
The six Chinese nationals "were under close surveillance for participating in suspicious activities related to the gathering of sensitive information" that could impact national defence, the bureau stated. A Filipino who was serving as their security guard was also taken into custody, as reported by RFA.
NBI director Jaime Santiago highlighted, "Counter-intelligence efforts disclosed that these individuals were occupying the island under the guise of recreational fishers, frequently lingering at the wharves until the wee hours."
"However, several witnesses reported that the group were using drones under the pretence of transporting fishing bait - actually conducting surveillance on naval assets, including those from local and allied forces, passing through Grande Island," he said.
Situated at the entrance of Subic Bay, Grande Island was once used as an artillery training site for American forces. From 1901 to 1992, Subic Bay hosted the largest U.S. naval base outside of the United States, RFA cited.
The Chinese nationals were identified as He Peng, Xu Xining, Ye Tianwu, Ye Xiaocan, Dick Ang, and Su Anlong. The Filipino suspect was named Melvin Aguillon.