The National Security Council (NSC) questions charges of espionage against 3 Filipinos arrested in Beijing, seeing it as a form of a “retaliation” after some Chinese spies were arrested in the Philippines.

NSC said that the Filipinos arrested “are former recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program established under the sisterhood agreement between the provinces of Hainan and Palawan.”

“They are law-abiding citizens with no criminal records and were vetted and screened by the Chinese government prior to their arrival there,” NSC spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a statement.

The NSC also raised doubts over the arrested Filipinos’ supposed confessions.

“A portion of one of the Filipino’s statement, while expressing regret, also notably portrayed China in a positive light. There was also mention of a “Philippine Intelligence Agency” or “Philippine Spy Intelligence Services” which is a non-existing government agency,” said the NSC.

“The “confessions” appear to be scripted, strongly suggesting that they were not made freely,” Malaya added.

For the NSC, the said video raises more questions than answers.

“Given the limited information released by Chinese media, the arrests can be seen as a retaliation for the series of legitimate arrests of Chinese agents and accomplices by Philippine law enforcement and counter-intelligence agencies in recent months,” Malaya said.

“We urge the Filipino people to remain vigilant and discerning in the face of these accusations,” he added.

The agency said it is coordinating closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Embassy in Beijing to ensure the detainees receive appropriate legal assistance and due process in light of the serious accusations.

“We urge the Chinese government to respect their rights and afford them every opportunity to clear their names in the same way that the rights of Chinese nationals are respected here in the Philippines,” said the NSC spokesperson.

On Friday, the DFA said that the government would provide all the necessary assistance to the three Filipinos detained in China over alleged espionage.