MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is tightening security measures after a leak of sensitive operational information in the West Philippine Sea was traced to poor handling of classified documents, Admiral Jay Tarriela said Friday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Safeguarding the Maritime Domain for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific forum organized by the Stratbase Institute, Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, confirmed that the leak involved a person close to PCG personnel, though not an official member of the Coast Guard.
“Based on my conversation with the personality involved, it was very poor handling of information and documents,” he said, pointing to internal lapses as a contributing factor to the breach.
Tarriela said the leaked details reportedly included operational plans and supply operations in the West Philippine Sea. He said early indications suggest the information allowed the Chinese government to anticipate Philippine operations, efforts to possibly undermine national security.
To prevent similar incidents, Tarriela said the Coast Guard was implementing stricter safeguards for handling sensitive information. He did not disclose the rank, location, or assignment of the personnel involved, citing an ongoing investigation.
“The main adjustment we are doing right now is to have a more secure way of handling information with regard to our operations in the West Philippines,” Tarriela said.
He also said the Coast Guard was coordinating with intelligence agencies across the Philippine government, including the Armed Forces and Philippine National Police, to prevent future leaks and reinforce national security.
“The investigation is ongoing, and the individuals involved are cooperating with the National Security Council and other authorities for the necessary measures,” Tarriela said.