Filipino defense analysts held on China spying allegationsMANILA, Philippines — Authorities have apprehended three defence personnel who allegedly spied on behalf of China in what the country's security agency has described as a "serious national security matter," a security council spokesperson said Thursday. The trio, who worked for the Philippine Department of Defense, Navy and Coast Guard, provided their Chinese handlers with lists of military personnel and other sensitive information, National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Cornelio Valencia told AFP. Operational details about resupply missions in the contested South China Sea, where China and the Philippines have frequently clashed in recent years, were also included in the information handed over, he said. "There was co-optation over a period of time," Valencia said of efforts to woo the defence personnel, who he described as low-level analysts. "For reasons of national security, we cannot discuss identities, methods, or timelines so as not to jeopardize ongoing operations," the security agency said.

Source: Philippine Star March 06, 2026 02:23 UTC