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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Chinese envoy assures rights of arrested Filipinos for espionage are protected

Chinese envoy assures rights of arrested Filipinos for espionage are protected

Published Apr 17, 2025 08:16 am

China’s Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian has assured that the rights of the three Filipinos who were arrested for alleged espionage are being protected.

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Ambassador Huang Xilian of China

“Their cases are going through judicial procedure and their rights are protected,” Huang said even as he admitted that his government would pursue the charges against the three.

He added that the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou has been coordinating closely with the Chinese government in safeguarding the rights of the arrested Filipinos.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had earlier conveyed to the Chinese government its wish for the Filipinos to be given due process and for their rights to be fully protected, in accordance with the Philippines-China Consular Agreement.

Under Article 13 of the Philippines-China Consular Agreement, " a consular officer shall be entitled to visit a national of the sending State who is under detention, arrest or deprived of freedom by any other means, to converse or communicate with him in any language or dialect known to the detained national relating to his condition and his case and to arrange legal assistance for him."

The three Filipinos, all from Palawan, are currently detained in a facility in Hainan, China, following their arrest for alleged espionage against the Chinese government.

The Office of Migration Affairs of the DFA had arranged for lawyers to represent the three Filipinos and had ordered the Consulate General to provide all necessary assistance to them.

“We already funded the lawyer. There's a local lawyer taking on their case funded by the Philippines, by DFA Legal Assistance Fund, and we're strongly requesting the Chinese authorities for this lawyer at least to allow to see them in their detention in Hainan,” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Affairs Eduardo de Vega told the media.

“But for that, kailangan din ng approval ng (we also need the approval of the) provincial governor. So we're working on that,” he added.

Huang said the families of the three have appealed to the Philippine consular office in China to allow them to visit their kin. He, however, refused to comment if the Chinese government will allow the visit.

The National Security Council (NSC) had expressed alarm over the espionage charges and the alleged confession of the three Filipinos, who were previous recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship program.

Malacañang has assured full assistance to the three Filipinos and refused to comment on speculations that their detention was part of China’s retaliatory actions on the Philippines’ prior arrest of Chinese nationals for espionage activities.

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