SEN. Francis Escudero called on the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to provide evidence regarding allegations that some Chinese students in Cagayan province are "spies."

The senator made the call in a television interview amid mounting concerns over the reported influx of Chinese students in the Cagayan Valley region.

He said that until proven otherwise, the accusations against the Chinese students "remain baseless, unfair and should not cause undue alarm" in the light of the ongoing territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea.

Escudero said that the BI should be the first agency to summon if there will be a Senate inquiry on the matter.

The BI officials' role, he said, would be to shed light on the matter and ascertain whether any lapses have occurred in fulfilling their responsibilities.

"Why did they allow them [to enter the country] if there's no valid reason that these Chinese will study here and simply applied for student visa upon arrival?" Escudero asked.

Earlier, four universities in the region denied allegations of running diploma mills and exploiting foreign students for profit.

In the joint statement, University of Cagayan Valley (UCV), St. Paul University Philippines (SPUP), University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao (USLT) and Medical Colleges of Northern Philippines (MCNP) also denounced claims that the presence of Chinese students in the region pose a threat to national security.