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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider China confirms arrest of 3 Filipinos for spying

China confirms arrest of 3 Filipinos for spying

Published Apr 3, 2025 01:02 pm

China on Thursday, April 3, confirmed that it arrested three Filipinos after they were accused of spying for the Philippine intelligence agency.

Guo Jiakun, spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said in a press conference that the arrest of the said individuals, who the Chinese embassy in Manila confirmed as residents of Palawan, came after the Philippines supposedly "concocted a series of so-called Chinese spy cases."

Both Guo and the embassy did not provide the identity of the arrested Filipinos. But according to China's state-run media Global Times, they were identified as David Servanez, Albert Endencia and Nathalie Plizardo.

Servanez, according to the Global Times, is a long-term resident of China. He was detained after he was found repeatedly loitering near military facilities, prompting Chinese authorities to raise suspicions.

Endencia and Plizardo were also alleged to be working alongside Servanez for a member of "the Philippine intelligence service," added the Chinese media.

In early March, the provincial government of Palawan reported that three of its residents were arrested in December last year by Chinese authorities for alleged espionage.

According to Palawan provincial government board member Ryan Maminta, two of those arrested were former scholars of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program in China.

The program is part of the sisterhood agreement between Hainan Palawan that was made to provide scholarships to 50 Palaweños at Hainan Normal University from 2018 to 2022.

The arrested individuals already returned to the Philippines after graduating from the program, but they reportedly came back to China and had since lost communication with their relatives in the country.


The Chinese embassy in Manila confirmed they were the individuals that Guo was referring to when he confirmed on Thursday, April 3, that Beijing detained three alleged spies.

Guo said Beijing firmly opposes such an act and has lodged protests against the Philippines more than once since.

"China urges the Philippines to stop shadow-chasing and making false accusations, handle the cases concerning Chinese citizens in a just manner and in accordance with the law, and effectively protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens in the Philippines," he added.

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