Solon urges PCG to dismiss Chinese auxiliary members

Amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea, Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers on Sunday urged the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to stop recruiting Chinese nationals into its auxiliary force and dismiss those who already serve as auxiliary members.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Barbers stressed that logically, the PCG should not be recruiting other nationalities into its forces even if they serve as volunteers during times of disaster and help donate in relief operations.

“Magandang mayroong mga volunteers diyan sa PCG. Pero it doesn’t make sense na nagre-recruit tayo ng hindi natin kalahi para dito sa operation. Kaya ng ‘Philippine Coast Guard’ eh, hindi naman sinabing Philippine and Chinese Coast Guard ‘yan,” the congressman said.

(It’s good to have volunteers in the PCG. But it doesn’t make sense that we are recruiting people for operations who are not Filipinos. It’s called the “Philippine Coast Guard” and not the Philippine and Chinese Coast Guard.)

Barbers had said in a congressional hearing that the Chinese auxiliary members of the PCG may be performing “spying duties in the guise of being auxiliary force members.” 

PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, however, said that there was no strong basis on which to conclude that these Chinese nationals recruited into the auxiliary force were spies. 

Balilo also said that the PCG had a vetting process when the Chinese applied. He also said that the Chinese have been helping the Coast Guard for a long time but for humanitarian assistance and donations only.

Pending the formal investigation into the matter, Barbers said that the PCG should halt the recruitment process first for other nationals who want to serve in the auxiliary force.

“Ako’y nananawagan sa officers ng ating PCG na medyo makonsensya tayo ng konti at itigil natin muna ang paggamit o pag-recruit nitong mga Chinese nationals. Number two, habang patuloy ang imbestigasyon dito, dapat i-terminate muna ang mga ‘yan. Wag munang paalisin dahil papatawag natin ‘yan sa Kongreso ‘pag nagumpisa tayo ng hearing,” the lawmaker said.

(I’m calling on the officers of PCG to feel a little guilty and stop using or recruiting these Chinese nationals. While the investigation is ongoing, the Chinese who are in the auxiliary force should also be terminated. Don’t send them away because we will summon them to Congress when we start the hearing.)

PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan on Wednesday revealed that the Coast Guard had delisted 36 Chinese individuals as auxiliary force members due to a lack of national security clearance.

As to how long the 36 Chinese citizens were part of the PCG auxiliary force before they were delisted, Gavan said “around two to three years, or even before.”

He also said that the requirement of having a national security clearance for PCG auxiliary force members was only implemented when he was named PCG commandant by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in October 2023.

If any government official or personnel of the PCG was proven to have committed any treasonous act by recruiting Chinese nationals, Barbers said that official would face charges accordingly.

“Siguro isang krimen na halos nakadikit sa usapin tungkol sa pagta-tryador sa iyong bansa, ‘yan ang titignan namin. We will also study the possibility of amending our Treason Act. Siguro kung ganyang usapin na may nambu-bully sa atin na ibang bansa, siguro hindi na kailangan mag-declare ng giyera kung merong Pilipino na tumatraydor sa atin,” he added.

(That official will have committed a crime related to treason. We will also study the possibility of amending our Treason Act. Maybe, in the case of another country bullying us, there may be no need to have a declaration of war for a Filipino to be a traitor.) — DVM, GMA Integrated News