MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday revealed receiving information that “a good number” or approximately 2,000 to 3,000 members of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is in the Philippines.
However, the information, which he said he shared with Senator Richard Gordon, still needs validation by the intelligence committee.
“The information na shinare ko kay (I shared with) Sen. Gordon, na (that) a good number of PLA – unvalidated ito ah (this is unvalidated), subject for validation – and we’re talking here of 2,000 to 3,000, ‘yun ang number na nabanggit (that’s the number mentioned to us),” he said in an interview with reporters at the Senate.
“Kailangan invalidate natin. Hindi naman ito (We need to validate it. This is not) confirmed and I urge the intelligence community to confirm,” he added.
PLA is the unified organization of China’s land, sea, and air forces and is one of the largest military forces in the world.
Lacson said it is possible that PLA members are here for an immersion mission, of which exact purpose remains a puzzle.
Last week, police found PLA identification cards in the possession of two Chinese suspects in the death of Yin Jian Tao, who was shot inside a VIP room of a restaurant in Makati City.
Earlier, Gordon also warned that Chinese couriers have brought over $160 million into the country from December 2019 to February this year and that this money may not only be laundered here but may also be for the purpose of funding a “fifth column,” referring to a group of people secretly working for the enemy.
Gordon further pointed out that the discovery of PLA IDs from Chinese suspects should be investigated, noting that some of the Chinese workers in the country are within the age of army recruits.