Former senator and now Congresswoman Leila de Lima wants to make spy crimes much more serious in the Philippines. Right now, if someone is caught spying, they can be jailed for only 6 months to 6 years. But De Lima says that’s not enough, especially with all the sneaky spying going on today.
So she’s pushing for a new law called House Bill No. 1844 or the Anti-Espionage Act. This law wants to raise the punishment to up to 20 years in jail and a fine of up to ₱20 million pesos.
🕵️♂️ What Counts as Espionage (Spying)?
De Lima’s bill says espionage happens when someone does these dangerous acts:
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Enters military places like warships, camps, or secret bases to steal photos, plans, or anything else—whether it’s marked “secret” or not.
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Gives or sells this info to another country or to people who want to hurt the Philippines.
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Tries to collect info about military camps, ships, aircraft, communication tools, or anything linked to national defense.
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Shares that info with someone who’s not allowed to know it—even if they got it legally.
🔥 Why Is This So Important Now?
De Lima says the Philippines is under threat, especially from China. She pointed out:
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China keeps harassing Filipino boats in the West Philippine Sea.
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Many Chinese students are moving near Philippine military bases.
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Chinese-operated online gambling centers (POGOs) are setting up near police and military camps.
She also mentioned some scary cases:
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Alice Guo, a former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, turned out to be a Chinese citizen even though only Filipinos can run for office. She’s also linked to illegal POGO crimes.
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In January, a Chinese man and two Filipinos were caught near military bases, allegedly spying.
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In Palawan, five Chinese suspects were caught watching the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard, especially during resupply missions in the West Philippine Sea.
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In April, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) found out that fake companies (pretending to be American or European) were tricking Filipino soldiers into giving away military secrets.
🇵🇭 De Lima’s Message: Stop the Spies
De Lima says all these examples prove one thing: The Philippines is being targeted, and it needs stronger protection.
“We must stop spies now to keep our country safe, strong, and free,” she said.
