THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) admitted Friday that poor handling of classified documents by personnel led to a leak of sensitive operational information related to Philippine activities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), as national security officials warned of espionage attempts and urged government workers to report recruitment efforts by foreign entities.
Speaking on the sidelines of the “Safeguarding the Maritime Domain for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific” symposium organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute in Makati City, PCG spokesman for the WPS RAdm. Jay Tarriela said initial findings pointed to lapses in handling sensitive materials.
“Based on my conversation with the personality involved, it was very poor handling of information and documents,” Tarriela said.
The leak involved a person close to Coast Guard personnel, although the individual was not an official member of the service, he said. The information reportedly included details about operational plans and supply missions in the WPS.
Tarriela said early indications suggested that the leaked material may have enabled the Chinese government to anticipate Philippine operations.
He added that authorities had uncovered instances in which some Filipinos admitted being paid by Chinese contacts in exchange for sensitive information about Philippine operations in the disputed waters.
“The mere fact that these apprehended informants admitted and cooperated, saying they were being paid to provide sensitive information at the cost of our operations in the West Philippine Sea, is deeply concerning,” Tarriela said.
To prevent similar incidents, he said the Coast Guard was strengthening protocols for handling classified information and tightening internal safeguards related to operational data.
The PCG was also coordinating closely with other government security agencies, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, Tarriela said.
At the same forum, National Security Adviser and National Security Council (NSC) Director General Eduardo Año said the government was treating the matter as a national security issue.
“We assure the public that everything is in check, and we will ensure the failure of any espionage effort in our country,” Año said.
He warned that foreign intelligence operations often involve attempts to recruit individuals within government agencies, sometimes beginning with seemingly legitimate job offers or professional engagements.
“Look closely at the job offers being made. That’s where it starts, and eventually you may find yourself in a situation where you are already being used as a spy and becoming a traitor to the country,” Año said.
The NSC earlier confirmed it had uncovered a serious national security issue involving suspected espionage activities allegedly linked to China, with at least three Filipinos implicated.
Año declined to discuss specific cases, citing ongoing investigations.
He said that while some internal documents, schedules and reports were exposed, no top-secret material was compromised.
“There was sensitive information, but nothing at the highest level,” Año said.
Some of the suspected espionage activities dated back several years, predating a provisional agreement reached between Manila and Beijing in 2024, he said.
The issue of espionage was raised during a broader discussion at the forum about the mounting maritime tensions in the WPS and the need for stronger cooperation among countries that support a rules-based international order.
Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres Manhit said the persistent pattern of coercive actions by Chinese state and state-linked vessels in the disputed waters was part of a broader strategy to gradually alter the situation on the ground — or in this case, at sea — without triggering open conflict.
Citing data from the PCG, Manhit said authorities documented 64 incidents of illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions against Philippine missions or vessels in 2025 alone.
Among them are dangerous maneuvers, shadowing of Philippine vessels, water cannon attacks, collisions, radio challenges and even live-fire exercises conducted near Philippine positions.
“These are only the incidents that were reported and made public,” Manhit said. “Far from the cameras and the headlines, many more acts of intimidation occur at sea — often involving Filipino fishermen and frontline personnel who continue to operate under constant pressure and uncertainty.”
Manhit said the growing frequency and intensity of such incidents reflected a deliberate attempt to normalize coercive behavior in the WPS.
“Such behavior, as we have stressed time and again, should not and cannot be normalized or tolerated,” he said.
He stressed that the Philippines and its partners must respond with “firm, coordinated and decisive measures” to counter such tactics.
Manhit emphasized that the issue went beyond a bilateral dispute between Manila and Beijing, describing it as a broader regional and global concern because of the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific region, as a vital corridor for global trade, with nearly two-thirds of the world’s commerce passing through its sea lanes.
“Safeguarding the maritime domain is not simply about defending territory,” Manhit said. “It is about defending the principles that allow nations — large and small — to coexist peacefully: respect for international law, freedom of navigation and the peaceful management of disputes.”
He said the Philippines must continue strengthening cooperation with like-minded nations such as the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France and India to promote transparency, uphold international law and deter coercive actions at sea.
The symposium, co-hosted by the Stratbase ADR Institute and the Japan Institute of International Affairs, brought together policymakers, security officials, diplomats, scholars and maritime experts from across the Indo-Pacific region.
Participants discussed ways to enhance regional cooperation in maritime security, strengthen adherence to international law, and reinforce the principles underpinning the Free and Open Indo-Pacific framework.
