Members of the Philippine Coast Guard take part in a readiness inspection at the PCG Headquarters in Port Area, Manila, on December 7, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file 

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Thursday said he wants wants the Philippine Coast Guard to explain why it accepted Chinese nationals in its auxiliary force.

Dela Rosa’s reaction was in response to what was uncovered during Wednesday’s House Committee on Transportation hearing, regarding the 36 Chinese who were accepted to the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA).

The PCGA is a voluntary organization with a military structure that is attached to the PCG.

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“Tanungin kung anong rason. Pero sa aking pananaw, hindi maganda. Granting na hindi sila naka-damage they are not able to cause damage on our national security. Granting na wala yung ma-contribute na damage sa ating national security. Pero yung ating national pride naman ay medyo na-damage dahil ... pinapasuot ng uniporme...at binibigyan ng recognition na auxiliary sila sa PCG na hindi naman sila Pilipino. Hindi maganda sa akin,” Dela Rosa, a retired PNP Chief said.

(Let’s ask for the reason. But for me, that’s not good. Granting they did not cause any damage to our national security. But our national pride is slightly damage there because they are wearing a uniform, and recognized as auxiliary by the PCG, when they are not even Filipino)

Auxiliary personnel are those in “volunteer” status, which is similar to village watchmen or barangay tanod who serve as “force multiplier” of regular government troops, Dela Rosa said.

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NOT SPIES 

The PCG said that the 36 Chinese nationals recruited into the PCG auxiliary force were not spies from Beijing, and are ordinary businessmen helping the agency in humanitarian operations.

This, amid China's aggressive actions against Philippine government vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

In an interview, PCG Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said the Chinese nationals are merely businessmen recruited in 2015 when tensions in the West Philippine Sea were not as high. 

He added that as auxiliary force members, they did not have any participation whatsoever on any of the activities of the PCG. 

“Ah, wala po tayong matibay na basehan para maakusahan silang mga Chinese spies. Ang sabi ko nga sa inyo, nagkaroon din kami ng vetting nung sila ay nag apply at matagal na po silang tumutulong sa PCG sa aspect lang po ng humanitarian assistance donation,” Balilo said. 

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(We don't have a strong basis to accuse them of being Chinese spies. We also had a vetting when they applied and they have been helping the PCG for a long time just in the aspect of humanitarian assistance donation.)

“Wala silang participation sa mga activities ng PCG lalo na sa mga sensitibong pagkilos, at hindi rin sila nakakapasok sa mga areas kung saan meron kaming mga operations at meron kaming mga dapat na ingatan. Wala po dapat ipangamba dito, ito po ay mga ordinaryong businessman. Ngayon kung meron pong report na sila ay nag eespiya, bahala na po yung NSC para po sila ay subaybayan at bantayan, at i-deal po.”

(They have no participation in PCG activities, especially in sensitive operations, and they are also unable to enter the areas where we have operations and we have things that must be taken care of. There is nothing to fear here, these are ordinary businessmen. Now if there is a report that they are spying, it is up to the NSC to monitor and watch them, and deal with them.)

Balilo said that the PCG already removed these Chinese nationals from the PCG auxiliary force last December, following a directive from the National Security Council. 

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“Nun wala naman tayong nakitang problema sapagkat ito’y mga Chinese, ordinary Chinese businessman lang at tayo naman ay napaka ingat sa mga operations at sa ating mga maaaring intelligence na kailangan natin bantayan, at hindi kami nangangamba na kami ay masingitan. Pero dahil po sa merong wisdom yung NSC pagdating sa usaping ito, kami po ay sumunod at talaga pong gusto rin naming mag ingat at hindi tayo malusutan dito,” he said.

(At that time we did not see any problem because these are Chinese, just ordinary Chinese businessmen and we are very careful about the operations and our possible intelligence that we need to guard, and we are not afraid that we will be caught. But because the NSC has wisdom when it comes to this matter, we followed and we really want to be careful and not get caught in this.)