The Armed Forces of the Philippines is uncovering an “intricate web” of alleged Chinese infiltration involving Chinese-linked steel plants deliberately positioned near key defense facilities, which raised serious security concerns amid recent government operations against the plants.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad revealed this on Wednesday during an interview on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s At The Forefront with Atty. Karen Jimeno.
Trinidad said the location of some of the steel plants near Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites could not be viewed solely as an economic issue as their proximity to strategic military and government facilities carries potential security implications.
He specifically cited the Sanjia Steel Corp. plant in Misamis Oriental located inside the PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority area under the supervision of the Department of National Defense (DND) and near the EDCA site at Lumbia Airport.
“It is close to the EDCA site, Lumbia Airport,” Trinidad said.
Asked if the plant was intentionally located there, Trinidad answered, “Yes.”
Asked whether it could have served as a front or cover for other security-related activities, Trinidad said an undertaking that may have started as an economic venture could acquire broader security implications.
“What could have started as an economic venture has particular implications. Not only economic implications. Like the POGOs,” he added.
Trinidad was referring to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators that later became the subject of national security concerns.
Trinidad said the Sanjia plant is within range of the Lumbia EDCA site and close to the AFP’s 4th Infantry Division, Laguindingan Airport and other critical government infrastructure.
“Within range of an EDCA site, Lumbia airport, malapit sa 4th Infantry Division, malapit sa Laguindingan airport, and other critical government infrastructure,” he said.
“So may security implications,” Trinidad added.
The AFP official also stressed that the intensified raids on Chinese-linked steel plants are being led by law enforcement agencies, not the military.
“The crackdown, Atty. Karen, is by our law enforcement agencies and being supported by DND,” he said.
He said the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are leading the operations with the DND and AFP providing support.
Recent raids on Sanjia Steel in Misamis Oriental and Davao Mighty Steel Corp. were part of the government’s campaign against alleged economic sabotage involving the production of substandard steel, Trinidad said.
He said the investigations were not hastily mounted, but were the result of years of case buildup and intelligence gathering.
“First and foremost we have to understand lahat ng ginagawa ng NBI, PAOCC supported by the DND, hindi ito overnight. Years and hundreds of man hours behind,” Trinidad said.
He said investigators are examining “every angle” and “every facet” of the personalities involved.
“And little by little, we are now uncovering the web of conspiracy, the web of infiltration into the government, into society,” Trinidad said.
For Trinidad, the steel plant investigations are connected to the broader security situation confronting the Philippines, including developments in the West Philippine Sea.
“It’s not only isolated. It’s linked. It’s an intricate web of infiltrating us,” he said.
He warned that modern threats need not involve a conventional military invasion.
“In today’s world, we might not reach the kinetic action of physical invasion because we have been invaded politically, economically, socioculturally, in the education sector, in our power grid,” Trinidad said.
Trinidad said the government is now exposing these alleged activities, which has coincided with increased attacks from the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese embassy.
“And the government is now exposing this. And the Chinese Communist Party and the embassy felt this,” he said.
“That’s why the increase of attacks was noted in the past four to six months,” Trinidad added.#