National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said that the Philippine government is not propagating an anti-China rhetoric.

In a forum in Manila on Friday, Malaya said the government is not utilizing the "spy scare" as part of an anti-China rhetoric.

"I'd like to clearly state that in so far as the Philippine government is concerned, there is no Anti-China Rhetoric being propagated by the Philippine government", Malaya said.

He said made this statement following a report in the Global Times, an English newspaper in China and statements by other groups in the Philippines.

Malaya said they claimed "that we are growing an anti-China rhetoric, including baseless accusations of Chinese spies which allegedly fuels hostility that is the farthest from the truth".

"We just happened to have evidence to pin down several Chinese nationals who have been arrested by Philippine law enforcement authorities in the act of espionage," Malaya said.

"These accused individuals of espionage ... were caught red-handed. Espionage equipment were confiscated by law enforcement authorities", he added.

The first alleged Chinese spy was arrested on January 20 and five others were nabbed on January 30.

Malaya said the NSC has a "wealth of evidence to pin them down" and that the National Bureau of Investigation already secured warrants to conduct forensic investigation against the arrested individuals.

The NSC allowed the Chinese Embassy to have consular visits to the arrested Chinese nationals.

In a two separate joint fora last January the National Bureau of Immigration (NBI), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and Department of Justice (DOJ) presented the six arrested Chinese nationals for allegedly conducting espionage activities targeting critical military infrastructure in the country. Marie Manalili/DMS