MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is closely monitoring reports regarding alleged foreign covert operations in the country, the agency announced Thursday.
DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza confirmed that the department is collaborating with other government agencies to investigate the matter.
“The Department has noted reports containing relevant information on alleged foreign covert operations in the Philippines. In accordance with its mandate to help protect national security, the Department takes such reports seriously and is monitoring relevant developments in this regard,” Daza said.
This statement follows discussions in the House of Representatives regarding Chinese spies during hearings on the citizenship status of former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
In a hearing held on September 27, a House panel presented an excerpt from an Al Jazeera documentary about a self-confessed Chinese spy, She Zhijiang. The documentary includes a dossier featuring Guo Hua Ping, with a photograph resembling Guo and details of her birthplace and mother.
She Zhijiang claimed that Guo Hua Ping, allegedly Guo’s real name, had asked him for financial support for her mayoral bid in Bamban. Guo has denied any connection to She Zhijiang and refuted accusations of being a spy.
The National Security Council (NSC) has also assured the public that it has “effective counterintelligence efforts” in place to combat foreign espionage in the Philippines.