Is China recruiting 'sleeper cell' military members in the Philippines?

NEW DELHI: In a revelation that has raised eyebrows and concerns, General Romeo Brawner, military chief of the Philippines, disclosed information regarding past and current Filipino military officers, including some generals, being approached to support China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. This assertion adds a new layer of intrigue to the ongoing territorial disputes in the region, notably within the area referred to as the West Philippine Sea by Manila, which lies within its exclusive economic zone.
According to military intelligence reports highlighted by Brawner, there have been efforts by China to recruit Filipinos with military backgrounds to conduct espionage activities in the West Philippine Sea.

The recruitment website implicated in these efforts was traced back to China, as reported by the Philippine Inquirer, stirring further investigation into these claims. Brawner mentioned that the verification of this information is ongoing, a South China Morning Post report said.
The allegations have come under intensified scrutiny following queries from a Philippine senator regarding the issuance of special resident retiree visas to Chinese nationals of military age by the Philippine Retirement Authority. With Chinese nationals constituting 30,000 of the 78,000 foreign retirees holding special visas in the Philippines, the situation has prompted calls for a deeper examination of the matter.
Sherwin Ona, a political analyst and associate professor at De La Salle University in the Philippines, expressed concern over the seriousness of these allegations, pointing out the potential risks to national security and the possible erosion of trust between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and its regional allies.

In the wake of these allegations, military spokeswoman Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla announced that the website allegedly used for recruitment had been deactivated. The military, along with other government agencies, is currently investigating who was behind these efforts and whether any sensitive information was compromised.
The revelation has sparked dialogue among security analysts, with retired US Air Force officer Ray Powell acknowledging the