MANILA: The Philippines expressed concerns on Thursday (Oct 3) over media reports alleging foreign covert operations in the country, saying it is coordinating with relevant agencies to address the matter.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) did not name any foreign actor or entity in its statement, but its spokesperson told reporters it was responding to an Al Jazeera 101 East documentary on a Chinese fugitive detained in Thailand.
The fugitive, She Zhijiang, is wanted by Beijing for allegedly running illegal online gambling operations.
In the documentary, he was quoted saying that he once spied for China and was recruited in the Philippines in late 2016.
He was quoted in the documentary also saying he and Alice Guo, former Philippine mayor of Bamban in Tarlac province, worked for China’s Ministry of State Security, the main agency overseeing foreign intelligence.
“The department has noted reports, press reports containing relevant information on alleged foreign covert operation in the Philippines, in accordance with its mandate to help protect national security,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza told reporters.
“The department takes such reports seriously and is monitoring relevant developments in this regard.”
