Reelectionist Senator Francis Tolentino claimed there are sleeper agents “deeply embedded” in the bureaucracy of the government.

During a weekend media forum, Tolentino said we are now facing a type of Chinese espionage that has never been experienced in the history of our country, and this has not just happened once but continuously.

“Sa lahat ng sektor ay may nakabaon na sleeper cells… Hindi natin alam ang extent hayaan natin ang security officials ang mag-elaborate pero talagang nakakagulat,” Tolentino said.

“Kahit sa ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan ay meron silang nakabaon na espiya… sa malalaking ahensya baka na-promote na hindi lang as division chief, baka director, baka assistant secretary level na matagal nang nagtatrabaho,” added Tolentino.

Earlier this week, Tolentino also claimed that the Philippines is facing spying by China like never before.

“Kinakaharap natin ngayon ang isang uri ng pag-eespiya ng China na hindi pa kailanman naranasan sa kasaysayan ng ating bansa. At hindi lang po ito naganap minsan, kundi patuloy,” the senator alleged.

The senator’s allegation came on the heels of the National Security Council’s (NSC) pronouncement that there are indications that China is interfering with the 2025 Philippine midterm elections.

Malacañang also expressed alarm over the pronouncement of the NSC.

China has already denied allegations of interfering in the Philippines’ political affairs.

Beijing said it has “no interest” in doing such acts in relation to the Philippine polls.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a press conference that “China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs.”

“We noticed the attempts of some politicians to play the so-called China card to serve their political self interests and boost their election prospects before the midterm election. Such attempts are despicable and doomed to failure,” the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement.

Tolentino, meanwhile, is proposing a regular evaluation of workers in government.

“Gusto ko magkaroon ng assessment, evaluation para malaman kung sino ‘yung talagang mga espiya na nakabaon sa ating pamahalaan,” he said.