MANILA, Philippines – Kwestyonable para sa National Security Council (NSC) ang pagsasampa ng reklamong ‘espionage’ kasunod ng pagkakaaresto sa tatlong Pinoy sa Beijing, na nakikita umanong ganti sa pag-aresto sa mga Chinese spy dito sa Pilipinas.
Ito ay kasabay ng pagsasabi ng NSC na ang mga naarestong Filipino ay “former recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program established under the sisterhood agreement between the provinces of Hainan and Palawan.”
Nanindigan ang NSC na ang mga naaresto ay ordinaryong Filipino.
“They are law-abiding citizens with no criminal records and were vetted and screened by the Chinese government prior to their arrival there,” saad sa pahayag ni NSC spokesperson Jonathan Malaya.
Duda rin ang NSC sa umano’y pag-amin ng mga Filipino sa insidente.
“A portion of one of the Filipino’s statement, while expressing regret, also notably portrayed China in a positive light. There was also mention of a “Philippine Intelligence Agency” or “Philippine Spy Intelligence Services” which is a non-existing government agency,” ayon sa NSC.
“The “confessions” appear to be scripted, strongly suggesting that they were not made freely,” dagdag pa ni Malaya.
Para sa NSC, mas nagbibigay ng maraming katanungan ang video kaysa sa nagbibigay ito ng kasagutan sa isyu.
“Given the limited information released by Chinese media, the arrests can be seen as a retaliation for the series of legitimate arrests of Chinese agents and accomplices by Philippine law enforcement and counter-intelligence agencies in recent months,” ani Malaya.
“We urge the Filipino people to remain vigilant and discerning in the face of these accusations,” dagdag niya.
Wala pang tugon ang Chinese Embassy sa pahayag ng NSC.
Nakikipag-ugnayan na ang ahensya sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) at Philippine Embassy sa Beijing para masiguro na ang mga detainee ay nakakatanggap ng kaukulang legal assistance at tamang proseso.
“We urge the Chinese government to respect their rights and afford them every opportunity to clear their names in the same way that the rights of Chinese nationals are respected here in the Philippines,” ayon sa NSC spokesperson.
“The Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou is providing all necessary assistance, including appropriate legal support, for the said Filipinos,” sinabi naman ni DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza. RNT/JGC
