Philippines investigates China-linked donations amid spying concerns
As allegations of espionage swirl, Philippine authorities aim to uncover the true intentions behind the donations to local officials
Four Chinese nationals who were arrested by Philippine law enforcers in January on suspicion of espionage reportedly led civic groups overseen by the Communist Party’s foreign influence network.
The groups donated 500,000 pesos (US$8,600) labelled as a “poverty alleviation bursary” to the mayor of Tarlac city, plus 10 motorbikes to Manila’s police and 10 patrol vehicles to Tarlac’s police and authorities, according to photos, videos and online posts.
“There is nothing wrong with accepting donations if they are done in good faith. However, if these donations were given with ulterior motives, then we need to investigate,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told a media briefing on Monday.
“We should also identify the local government officials who received them to ensure this does not happen again, especially if they were being used or unknowingly being used.”
The Chinese foreign ministry, in a statement, said China required its citizens to abide by local laws and that civic groups spontaneously set up by citizens were not affiliated with the Beijing government.