MANILA — Philippine officials in China are closely monitoring the situation of the three Filipinos detained in Hainan over espionage allegations, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said on Thursday.

“They’re still under investigation but our officials there in China are closely watching and monitoring the situation,” Manalo told reporters on the sidelines of the Maritime Security Symposium in Manila.

Earlier this month, China said it had “destroyed” an intelligence network set up by the “Philippine Intelligence Agency” and arrested three Filipinos from the country.

The National Security Council has expressed alarm on the espionage charges and the alleged confession of the three Filipinos, who were previous recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program.

Ryan Maminta, a provincial board member of Palawan, has called the allegations against the three scholars unbelievable.

He added the provincial government will review whether to continue the program with Hainan Normal University.

‘Intensyon lang mag-aral, makatulong sa pamilya’: Palawan official says 3 Pinoys detained in China not spies

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday cast doubt on Beijing's spying allegations against the three arrested Filipinos.

He said the Philippines is neither inclined to nor capable of conducting surveillance abroad.

"Anong interest natin malaman kung anong nangyayari doon sa loob ng bansa nila? Ang interest natin iyong ginagawa nila sa West Philippine Sea," Teodoro told reporters in an ambush interview in Mandaluyong City.

(What interest would we have in what is happening in their country? Our interest is on what China is doing in the West Philippine Sea)

He also said that nobody with common sense would attempt espionage in China, which he described as a "closed society" and a police state. 

"Eh paggising mo pa lang eh alam na nila yung ginagawa mo. (From the moment you wake up, they already know what you are up to)"

Gibo: PH keeping an eye on West Philippine Sea, not spying on China

The DFA previously conveyed to Chinese authorities to ensure that the Filipinos will be given due process with full respect of their rights in accordance with domestic law and the Philippines-China Consular Agreement.

A security analyst has said that the arrest of three Filipinos may be a retaliatory act in relation to arrests of alleged Chinese spies in the Philippines.

"The past few months, sunud-sunod ang pag-aresto natin sa mga Chinese nationals. Maaaring yun din ang response nila sa mga aksyon na ginagawa natin na naaayon sa domestic laws,“ Dr. Chester Cabalza, founder and president of the International Development and Security Cooperation, told ABS-CBN News in an interview on April 4.

(There has been a series of arrests of Chinese national in the past few months. This may be a response to the actions we do in accordance with our domestic laws)

Since January, government personnel have arrested at least 10 Chinese nationals suspected to have committed spying activities in the Philippines.