Burrowing inside: The China threat is real

The confirmation of espionage is just the tip of the iceberg. Security officials must also reveal the extent of the breach and disclose measure to prevent future incidents, Manuel Mogato writes.

Manuel Mogato | March 5, 2026

Manila — Months before the Philippines and the United States signed an agreement on information security, biometrics and other similar measures were installed in defense and military offices.

It was impossible for non-organic personnel to enter offices at the defense department and in various military facilities nationwide. Visitors are normally escorted and temporary passes are issued.

The visitors are not allowed to wander and go office hopping because of the security clearances given to them.

The time the visitors enter and leave an office inside Camp Aguinaldo and other military bases is logged and recorded. There are CCTV cameras recording the movement of personnel and visitors.

Sensitive security documents had bar codes to track the movement and the number of copies made for monitoring and tracking.

Three or four decades ago, there were no such tight security measures in place, documents leaks were common and journalists who covered the defense and military beat could freely enter any office and talk with senior generals and civilian officials. They also mingle with enlisted personnel and civilian employees.

The General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) changed the situation even before it was signed in November 2024.

However, the defense and military establishments’ sensitive and classified information may have been compromised despite the GSOMIA and the security measures in place before 2024.

The three defense and military low-level personnel who were recruited by Chinese handlers were already working inside the system. Thus, they could easily pass through the RFID and biometrics inside Camp Aguinaldo and other military camps in Metro Manila.

These technical and technological barriers had been breached by the defense and military personnel who are working inside.

Assistant Director-General Cornelio Valencia Jr., a spokesman for the National Security Council (NSC), allayed the public fears about China’s spying activities in the country.

“The operations of these individuals acting on the behest of Chinese Intelligence have been addressed and terminated,” Valencia Jr said in a statement.

“Nonetheless, necessary actions have been taken against the individuals concerned —all Filipino nationals — who have all confessed their complicity in espionage activities and are cooperating with the authorities.”

However, he declined to further discuss details about the espionage case, including the identities, methods or timelines “so as not to jeopardize ongoing operations.”

Valencia also did not say how long the arrested defense and military personnel had been passing classified information to their Chinese handlers.

Washington entered into GSOMIA with Manila in an effort to protect sensitive and classified information the US shares with the Philippines, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.

Although Philippine authorities acknowledged that there were information breaches from inside the defense and military establishments, they refused to talk about what information was stolen and if there was some information that was shared by the Americans.

Every year, the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (J2) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines holds numerous intelligence exchange (intelex) meetings with allied countries, such as the United States, Australia, Japan, and almost all Southeast Asian states.

In these meetings, current geopolitical, regional, and domestic security situations were discussed as well as intelligence estimates and assessments were shared.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines normally sends to the defense department’s Office of the Assistant Secretaries for Plans and Strategic Assessments copies of the “intelex” reports.

The compromised personnel may have access to these reports or may have attended sensitive and classified briefings in Camp Aguinaldo, on policies, plans, and strategies in the West Philippine Sea.

Since the Philippines has a GSOMIA with the United States, did local defense and military authorities share with their American counterparts the investigation on the arrested personnel, based on the Insider Threat Program.

What is the US role in this investigation? Did the US have a hand in the arrest and in uncovering the activities of the three defense and military personnel?

The US has vast experiences in uncovering traitors within its security establishments, including in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who were passing information to the Soviets during the Cold War and later to the Russians and Chinese.

The National Security Council, the Department of National Defense, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines must come clean in revealing to the public the extent of classified information that was breached and what measures have been taken to prevent a repeat of the unfortunate espionage incidents.

Japan is also interested in signing a similar GSOMIA with the Philippines. Will this espionage episode affect the negotiations for a GSOMIA between Tokyo and Manila?

The arrest of the low-level defense and military personnel passing information to China speaks well of the security services’ counter intelligence capability to catch spies within the establishments.

However, it needs sophisticated tools, devices, and techniques to stop China’s espionage using electronic, technical, and technological systems.

There is already an ongoing information war between the Philippines and China. Beijing does not only attempt to steal secrets but it has been using Filipinos to spread malicious information and influence the public sentiments against Western states and bring them closer to China.

The espionage episode is just the tip of the iceberg. China has been doing everything to undermine the Philippines, and its relations to the United States, Japan, and other allies.

China’s penetration is real. The Philippines should remain vigilant and aware of the risks involved in this big power play.