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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Palace to beef up security after arrest of alleged Malacañan spies

Palace to beef up security after arrest of alleged Malacañan spies

Published Feb 27, 2025 05:57 am

At A Glance

  • In a press briefing, the Palace official described the situation as alarming and stressed the need for stricter security protocols.

Malacañang is set to step up its security following the arrest of three Filipinos and two Chinese nationals for supposedly spying on the Palace and vital security establishments.

Palace orders gov't workers in executive branch to go home early and share meals with their families
File photo

Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said this after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) apprehended the suspected spies last week.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Feb. 27, the Palace official described the situation as alarming and stressed the need for stricter security protocols.

"Nakakaalarma po talaga iyang balita na iyan, at pagpupursigihin pa po natin at paiigtingin po natin ang ating puwersa para po masugpo ang mga sinasabi at napagbibintangang spies (That news is truly alarming, and we will persevere and strengthen our forces to suppress these alleged spies)," she said.

"Kailangan po talaga na mas maigting ang seguridad ng ating Palasyo at, of course, ng Pangulo (And it is truly necessary to have stricter security for the Palace and, of course, the President)," she added.

According to the NBI, the suspects were arrested after its cybercrime division and special task force were alerted about “suspicious” vehicles carrying International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers. The Philippine National Police (PNP) said these catchers serve as fake cell towers between mobile phones and the tower of the original network provider, allowing messages to be intercepted.

The Filipino suspects driving the vehicle carrying the IMSI catchers reportedly told investigators that they drove first near Malacañan. They also visited Camp Aguinaldo, Camp Crame, Villamor Airbase, and the United States embassy.

The Chinese nationals, who were paying the Filipino suspects up to P3,000 each daily, were arrested in a condominium unit in Malate, Manila.

President Marcos has expressed his belief that Chinese sleeper cells or spies are indeed in the Philippines following the arrest of five Chinese nationals for suspected espionage in Palawan last month.

A sleeper cell is a group of people living in secret, waiting to be activated for a specific mission.

Related Tags

claire castro Chinese spy MALACANANG PALACE
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