By Priam Nepomuceno

ILLEGAL SURVEILLANCE. Two of the five Chinese nationals, reportedly engaged in unauthorized surveillance of Philippine naval installations, being presented to members of the media on Jan. 30, 2025. The Philippine Army (PA) on Monday (Feb. 3, 2025) said it is conducting “appropriate security protocols” as countermeasures for such illegal activities. (PNA file photo by Ben Pulta)

MANILA – The Philippine Army (PA) on Monday said it has been implementing “appropriate security protocols” to ensure the safety of its camps and facilities nationwide.

“We have been implementing appropriate security protocols to ensure safety and security in all our Army camps. Likewise, we have (strengthened) our intelligence monitoring,” Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala told the Philippine News Agency.

This comes in the wake of the recent arrest of five Chinese nationals who were allegedly conducting unauthorized surveillance operations in naval installations in Palawan.

Asked if these security protocols include round-the-clock roving patrols in all PA camps and facilities, Dema-ala said that they have been doing this for a long time.

“We have been implementing these already even before may incidents na ganito (there were incidents like these). 24/7 naman ang ating physical security (our physical security is 24/7),” he added.

Dema-ala declined to comment further on what measures they are undertaking for security reasons.

Last Jan. 30, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) presented five Chinese nationals suspected of engaging in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in the country.

Also presented were supposed video footage from drones and military-grade, high-resolution video cameras disguised to look like civilian security closed circuit TVs (CCTVs).

AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said data collected from the solar-powered video cameras were “being sent real-time” to a remote location. “That could be why in the past ships were always aware when we deployed Coast Guard and naval resupply ships,” he said.

Photos recovered include images of the Naval Detachment Oyster Bay in Barangay Bahile in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, which is part of the Philippine Navy’s Naval Forces West (Navforwest) positions near the contested West Philippine Sea.

The five Chinese nationals were identified as Cai Shaohuang, Cheng Hai Tao, Wu Cheng Ting, Wang Yong Yi and Wu Chin Ren.

The arrests were made following pursuit operations on Jan. 24 to 25 in Palawan, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

Other images show the Philippine Navy’s Del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16), maps overlooking the Subic Bay International Airport, and Naval Operating Base Subic, and footage of various Philippine Coast Guard ships. (PNA)