PH government provides legal aid to 3 Filipinos detained in China for alleged espionage
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said the case is being handled as a consular matter and the Philippine government hiring a law firm to represent the detainees.
'We have already hired a law firm to protect these Filipinos. This is what we have done so far toward the protection of these Filipinos in China,' Lazaro said during a press briefing.
The DFA earlier confirmed that the three individuals were detained in Hainan Province and are now receiving consular and legal support from the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou.
Lazaro said Philippine officials have been granted access to the detainees but did not provide further details due to the sensitivity of the case.
The three Filipinos are reportedly former recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program, established under a sisterhood agreement between the provinces of Hainan and Palawan.
Their arrest follows the detention of suspected Chinese spies in the Philippines earlier this year. The DFA has yet to release official statements on the specific charges filed against the individuals.
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