The Philippine government is set to make more arrests in the coming days as it intensifies efforts against suspected foreign spies, according to National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya.
“There will be an announcement soon. What I can say for now is that more arrests are coming, including those related to the Palawan case,” Malaya said during a forum on Wednesday.
He confirmed that counterintelligence efforts have been ramped up, helping authorities uncover alleged espionage operations conducted by foreign actors. However, he declined to share further details to avoid preempting investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Recently, foreign tourists were arrested in Palawan for alleged espionage. Residents reported seeing them filming a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship and setting up a CCTV camera pointed at the sea without permission.
Authorities have linked the suspects to a previously arrested Chinese man, Deng Yuangin, who, along with two Filipinos, was allegedly conducting surveillance activities at military camps, government offices, power plants, and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.
Meanwhile, Deng’s wife has denied the allegations, saying her husband is not a spy.