By TED CORDERO, GMA Integrated News
There’s more to China’s alleged interference in the 2025 midterm elections in the Philippines, as Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino claimed there are sleeper agents "deeply embedded" in the bureaucracy.
“Sa lahat ng sektor ay may nakabaon na sleeper cells... Hindi natin alam ang extent hayaan natin ang security officials ang mag-elaborate pero talagang nakakagulat,”Tolentino saidat the Saturday News Forum.
(In all sectors, there are sleeper cellers... We don't know the extent, let's let security officials elaborate, but it's really shocking.)
“Kahit sa ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan ay meron silang nakabaon na espiya… sa malalaking ahensya baka na-promote na hindi lang as division chief, baka director, baka assistant secretary level na matagal nang nagtatrabaho,” added Tolentino.
(Even government agencies, they have spies... Even in the bigger agencies, they might have already been promoted, not just as division chief, maybe director, maybe assistant secretary level, who have been working there for a long time.)
GMA News Online has reached out to the Chinese Embassy for comment but it has yet to reply as of posting time.
Earlier this week, Tolentino also claimed that the Philippines is facing spying by China like never before.
“Kinakaharap natin ngayon ang isang uri ng pag-eespiya ng China na hindi pa kailanman naranasan sa kasaysayan ng ating bansa. At hindi lang po ito naganap minsan, kundi patuloy,” the senator alleged.
(We are now facing a type of Chinese espionage that has never been experienced in the history of our country, and this has not just happened once but continuously.)
The senator’s allegation came on the heels of the National Security Council’s (NSC) pronouncement that there are indications that China is interfering with the 2025 Philippine midterm elections.
Several senators have voiced concerns over the NSC’s claim, as they considered it as a threat to national sovereignty and security.
Malacañang also expressed alarm over the pronouncement of the NSC.
"No interest"
China has already denied allegations of interfering in the Philippines’ political affairs.
Beijing said it has "no interest" in doing such acts in relation to the Philippine polls.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a Thursday press conference that "China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs.”
“We noticed the attempts of some politicians to play the so-called China card to serve their political self interests and boost their election prospects before the midterm election. Such attempts are despicable and doomed to failure,” the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement.
Tolentino, meanwhile, is proposing a regular evaluation of workers in government.
“Gusto ko magkaroon ng assessment, evaluation para malaman kung sino ‘yung talagang mga espiya na nakabaon sa ating pamahalaan,” he said.
(I want to have an assessment, an evaluation, to find out who the real spies are who are buried in our government.)
“There has be toa regular vetting of one’s background… baka na-recruit ka na, baka bahagit ka na ng wide network of espionage ng PRC,” he added.
(There has to be a regular vetting of one’s background… maybe you’ve been recruited, maybe you’ve become part of the PRC’s wide network of espionage.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News
