Senate urged to amend Espionage Law amid arrest of alleged spies

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday called for the immediate passage of the bill strengthening the 83-year-old Espionage Law amid the arrest of one Chinese national and two Filipinos for allegedly conducting spying activities.

"The Senate must immediately enhance our existing Anti-Espionage Law. Habang patuloy na pabalik-balik ang Monster ship ng Tsina sa West Philippine Sea, dapat matiyak ng ating gubyerno na hindi natin hahayaan lang na napapaligiran na tayo ng mga espiya," Hontiveros said in a statement.

(While China's monster ship is going in and out of the West Philippine Sea, our government must ensure that we are not being surrounded by spies.)

"I have long flagged the possible presence of Chinese spies, lalo na nung nagkaroon ng Visa Upon Arrival o VUA scheme sa Bureau of Immigration na nagresulta sa Pastillas scam. Napakaraming Chinese nationals ang nakapasok sa bansa without proper immigration checks dahil dito," she stressed.

(I have long flagged the possible presence of Chinese spies, especially after the Bureau of Immigration allowed Visa Upon Arrival or VUA which resulted in Pastillas scam. A lot of Chinese nationals were able to enter our country without proper immigration checks because of this scheme.)

Hontiveros also recalled the investigation into the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the Senate where dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo was tagged by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) as "agent of influence."

"Allegations of self-confessed Chinese spy She Zhijiang that Guo is a fellow spy have also not been put to rest. Government must continue to exhaust all efforts to reach out to She and obtain information so crucial for our security," the senator said.

"I trust that the DND (Department of National Defense), together with other relevant agencies, is on top of this matter. We have to take this seriously for the sake of our national security, our national interest, our sovereignty," she ended.

This is not the first time that the call was made in the Senate. Last October, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada called for the passage of the bill he filed, which seeks to expand the coverage of the law against espionage.

Estrada made the call during the continuation of the Senate investigation into illegal POGOs which was conducted after the release of an Al Jazeera documentary which indicated that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, also tagged as Guo Hua Ping, is a Chinese spy.

SB 2368 proposed a penalty of life imprisonment and at least a one million peso fine for the commission of espionage.

This is an increase from the current penalty of imprisonment ranging from not more than 10 to 30 years and a fine of P2,000 to P30,000. The Revised Penal Code also metes espionage with the penalty of six months to six years of imprisonment.

Estrada said that the espionage law's amendments will take into account advancements in technology to include electronic forms of documents and other information as well as cybersecurity.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. asked lawmakers to amend the law against espionage so it can be applicable in times of peace amid the documentary accusing Guo of being a Chinese spy.

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escuder had urged the Defense Department to submit its proposed amendments to the law against espionage.

--VAL, GMA Integrated News