PH gets ‘access’ to 3 Filipinos held in China for suspected espionage

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora, Philippine News Agency

In a media engagement in Pasay City, Lazaro said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is classifying the case as a “consular issue” and that full government support would be provided to the three. (File photo: Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – The Philippines has been granted access to visit the three Filipino nationals earlier arrested in China for suspected espionage, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said Monday.

In a media engagement in Pasay City, Lazaro said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is classifying the case as a “consular issue” and that full government support would be provided to the three.

“The Chinese government has notified us, and this is under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate in Guangzhou, and the access to the three persons has been granted,” she said.

Lazaro also assured their families that the Philippine government has already tapped a law firm to handle their case.

“This is what we have done so far towards the protection of these three Filipinos in China,” she said.

The three arrested Filipinos are former recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program that was established under the sisterhood agreement between the provinces of Hainan and Palawan.

The National Security Council earlier said the three are mere “ordinary Filipino citizens with no military training” and are “law-abiding citizens with no criminal records and were vetted and screened by the Chinese government before their arrival there.”

No specific details have been provided as of this posting regarding their case.