The Philippine Department of National Defense says that it is ‘closely monitoring Chinese workers in the country’ for possibly engagement in ‘covert economic and information activities’.
According to the Inquirer, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro pointed, in particular, to the entry of Chinese nationals employed by state-owned companies, especially for infrastructure projects.
“What we want to know and focus on are the covert economic activities and information activities that are not overtly happening,” Teodoro told legislators.
Teodoro notes that many of the Chinese nationals working in the country are engaged in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), or infrastructure.
While not overtly stating that POGO workers could be involved in the possible covert activities, Teodoro painted a wide swath as to which individuals were under observation.
