The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is looking into "a deliberate and calculated move" by a foreign power to map out the country following the recent developments including the arrest of an alleged Chinese spy in Makati last week and the recovery of underwater drones in the Philippine waters.

"If we notice what happened just recently, the Chinese national may be an isolated case. But if you look at the bigger picture, last month we received the submersible glider, the drone, from fisherfolks, its the fifth that we have in our possession undergoing forensics," Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad told reporters on Tuesday.

"If we step, take two steps further backward, a local chief executive with a dubious character and background was uncovered. Foreign nationals were arrested with fake government IDs, foreign nationals with birth certificates," he added.

Looking at the possible connections of the recent developments, Trinidad noted that "there seems now to be a deliberate and calculated move to map out the country by a foreign power."

"Your armed forces is monitoring these, we (are) facing this and we are taking appropriate action," he said.

"It was mentioned that this foreign national is of Chinese origin but for all the other incidents, we have still to look at the bigger picture, and probably the appropriate government agency will give that out the moment everything has been mapped out," Trinidad said when asked who is the foreign power behind the move to map out the country. Robina Asido/DMS