Pasay city: The Philippines has secured access to visit three Filipino nationals who were recently detained in China on suspicion of espionage, as announced by Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro. During a media engagement in Pasay City, Lazaro emphasized that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is treating the incident as a "consular issue" and assured that the full support of the government would be extended to the detained individuals.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lazaro stated that the Chinese government has informed the Philippines about the situation, and the Philippine Consulate in Guangzhou is now handling the matter. She confirmed that access to the three detained individuals has been granted, highlighting the steps taken by the Philippine government to address the issue. Lazaro also reassured the families of the detainees that a law firm has been engaged to manage their legal affairs in China.

The three individuals in question were former beneficiaries of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program, established through a sisterhood agreement between the provinces of Hainan and Palawan. The National Security Council clarified that the detainees are "ordinary Filipino citizens with no military training" and were previously vetted and approved by the Chinese government before their arrival in China. However, specific details regarding the charges against them remain undisclosed at this time.