RE-ELECTIONIST Senator Francis Tolentino said on Saturday, April 27, 2025, that there were Chinese spies deeply embedded in government offices.
In a media forum, Tolentino said there were Chinese “sleeper cells” in all sectors of the country and the extent of their operation is “shocking.”
“Kahit sa ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan ay meron silang nakabaon na espiya… sa malalaking ahensya baka na-promote na hindi lang as division chief, baka director, baka assistant secretary level na matagal nang nagtatrabaho,” he said.
(Even in other government agencies, they have spies hidden... in the larger agencies, they may have already been promoted, not just as division chiefs, but possibly as directors or even at the assistant secretary level, working for a long time.)
“Kinakaharap natin ngayon ang isang uri ng pag-eespiya ng China na hindi pa kailanman naranasan sa kasaysayan ng ating bansa. At hindi lang po ito naganap minsan, kundi patuloy,” he added.
(We are currently facing a form of espionage from China that has never been experienced in the history of our country. And this is not something that happened just once, but continues to happen.)
Tolentino then urged for the regular evaluation and background vetting of government employees to weed out agencies of Chinese spies.
Earlier, during the investigation of the Senate’s special panel on maritime and admiralty zones led by Tolentino, National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said there are indications that China is interfering with the country’s upcoming polls, particularly targeting those that are against them.
Tolentino also bared during the hearing several documents showing a contract signed between the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and Infinitus Marketing Solutions Inc. for the organization of “keyboard warriors” who will be part of a troll farm that will openly provide information and convey the policies of the Chinese government.
He urged Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo to summon the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines and explain the matter.
China denied, however, such claims, saying they strictly follow the principle of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs.
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines slammed attempts from several Filipino politicians to advance their political interest at their expense.
“We noticed the attempts of some politicians to play the so-called China card to serve their political self-interests and boost their election prospects before the midterm election. Such attempts are despicable and doomed to failure,” it said.
Over the past months, Philippine law enforcers arrested at least 10 alleged Chinese spies along with their Filipino cohorts.
The National Bureau of Investigation said the arrested Chinese individuals were conducting surveillance around Malacañang, military and police camps and other critical facilities. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)