Five Chinese nationals presented by the NBI, AFP, DOJ and BI for alleged spying acts in Palawan. Photo: Republika News/Izel Abanilla

MANILA, Philippines – Just days following the arrest of a suspected Chinese spy, five more Chinese nationals said to be engaged in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) activities in the province of Palawan were nabbed by authorities for collecting imagery intelligence of the West Philippine Sea as well as military operations of the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard in the region. 

The five were presented to the media on Thursday, January 30 at the NBI Headquarters in Pasay City. 

After the arrest of Deng Yuanqing, the Chinese caught collecting topographical information of military camps and vital installations in Luzon, a follow-up casing and surveillance operation was conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on a group suspected to be working with Deng. 

A joint operation was then hatched on January 24 and 25 by operatives of the NBI, AFP, Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Immigration resulting in the arrest of the five said to be performing drone operations to collect data from the Philippines naval assets among others.

As follows, the suspects were identified as: 

1. Cai Shaohuang a.k.a. Richard Tan Chua (Field Commander);
2. Cheng Hai Tao a.k.a. Lestrade (Intelligence Operative);
3. Wu Cheng Ting a.k.a. Brawn (Intelligence Operative); 
4. Wang Yong Yi a.k.a. Watson (PRO & Financier);  
5. Wu Chin Ren (Member)

The five were intercepted in different locations; two at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City; one in  Intramuros, Manila; one in Binondo, Manila and the last one in Dumaguete City. 

NBI Cybercrime Chief Atty. Jeremy Lotoc said the group would also disguise themselves as members of a legitimate organization, establish contact with individuals who have access to valuable information without revealing their real identity. They befriended their subjects, earned their trust and eventually extracted information from them. Each of them were even using different ids.

According to intelligence reports, the group was spotted at Barangay Buenavistan posing as buyers of marine products, roaming around the city, and surveying for stations selling the products.

However, they were also sighted frequenting Ulugan Bay, Puerto Princesa, Palawan doing aerial surveillance and reconnaissance, collecting imagery intelligence on the Naval Detachment Oyster Bay (NDOB) in Barangay Bahile, which is part of the Philippine Navy’s Naval Forces West (Navforwest) and is strategically positioned near the South China Sea.

“Bakit po hinuli namin sa iba’t-ibang lugar, ano bang ginagawa nila doon, kasi po itong grupo na ito, based on our surveillance, based on information of our witnesses, sila po ang nagmamanman doon sa Palawan,” NBI Director Jaime Santiago said Thursday.  

“Naglagay po sila ng CCTV camera, a high-resolution solar-powered camera na naka-focus po sa ating dagat kung saan dumadaan ‘yung mga barko natin papunta sa West Philippine Sea at bumabalik,” Santiago said. 

This is also why naval missions such as regular rotation and reprovision missions (RoRe) to troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in the West Philippine Sea get intercepted quickly by the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard.  

“Monitored po, kaya napansin niyo po siguro nagdadala pa lang ng food supply ang ating mga barko may naka-abang na doon, monitored po tayo lahat,” Santiago said. 

The NBI showed the pieces of equipment intercepted that were installed by the five Chinese as vouched by witnesses. 

“Meron kaming extrajudicial confession ng mga tao dun sa beach na sila po ang naglagay niyan,” Santaigo said.

“Nung nahuli po sa NAIA, kakabalik lamang po nila, kakapagpalipad lamang po nila ng drone,” Santiago said. 

The NBI chief thereafter played the footage of a surveillance operation taken last November 2, 2024 showing one of the Chinese flying a drone camera by the sea where Coast Guard ships and small navy vessels dock. 

Upon arrest, authorities intercepted their equipment including a high-resolution solar-powered CCTV capable of long range centimeter-level accuracy and night vision capability. 

Photo: Republika News / Izel Abanilla

Spying on PH since 2023

Lotoc said that as early as 2023, the group were already being monitored in Kahamut-an Beach in Barangay Buenavista in Puerto Princesa City which directly leads to the West Philippine Sea. The five tried to rent a portion of it and install long range, high-powered surveillance CCTVs so they can monitor all vessels coming in and out of disputed waters.

On November 2, 2024, they did the same drill at Sun-Seas Beach Resort at Brgy. Buliluyan, Bataraza, Palawan. They offered to lease a portion of the resort and while the negotiations were ongoing, Lotoc said they purposedly installed a CCTV without the owner knowing.

“The group is undoubtedly engaged and continuously engaging in data collection and disclosure of the data to outsiders. Those data affects the national defense definitely to the injury of the Philippines,” Lotoc said.

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