MANILA, Philippines— Some of the foreign nationals recently arrested for alleged espionage have been in the Philippines since 2002, according to records from the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

BI Commissioner Viado confirmed on Sunday that an investigation into the backgrounds of the alleged spies revealed their decades-long presence in the country.

“Some have been here as early as 2002,” said Viado in a statement.

“They have been holding legal statuses and have lived in the country for a long time before they were found to be doing suspicious activities by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),” he added.

The NBI recently apprehended several Chinese nationals, some of whom were allegedly working with Filipinos, in connection with suspected spying operations in the country.

Without providing too much detail, Viado said that some of those arrested had working visas linked to companies in San Juan and Manila, while others were married to Filipinas.

Viado urged citizens to report to authorities any suspicious activities involving foreign nationals that might compromise national security.

“We are serious in our efforts to stop these undesirable aliens from abusing our hospitality,” he said.

He added that the BI is working closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ), NBI, and AFP to gather more information on the suspects.

‘Harborers to face raps’

Viado warned that they are ready to file cases against individuals that may be protecting foreign spies.

“Should we confirm that there are individuals—whether Filipinos or foreign nationals—that hid or assisted these alleged spies, we will file cases against them for harboring illegal aliens, in violation of section 46 of the Philippine immigration act of 1940,” he said in a separate statement.