Chinese embassy hits ‘heinous’ accusations as alleged ‘spy’ charged
The Chinese national arrested in possession of an illegal electronic eavesdropping device near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila underwent inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday and is now facing multiple complaints, including espionage.
According to the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation, the man identified as Tak Hoi Lao was charged with violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and espionage.
Malacañang said it was alarmed by the incident, but President Marcos reiterated his trust in the country’s intelligence community.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace press officer Claire Castro said the incident was a matter of national security that will be thoroughly probed.
“It’s quite alarming. [But] the President has this trust [in] the intelligence agents that made the operation … We will just have to wait for the final investigation on that matter,” she added.
However, Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said the poll body has so far not found anything that could disrupt the May 12 elections.
“We checked our systems, our lists of voters that are in the Comelec. We did not see any disturbance there,” Garcia told reporters. “I want to guarantee the public, we don’t have any election data in the main office. Sorry to them. Our election data is not there.”
Chinese Embassy reacts
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy reiterated “that China adheres to the principle of noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries and we have no interest in interfering in elections in the Philippines.”
The embassy described as “heinous” the accusations that China would interfere in the internal affairs of a foreign nation.
This was not the first time Chinese nationals were arrested in the country allegedly for spying.
On Jan. 17, a man identified as Deng Yuanqing was apprehended in Makati City with two Filipino accomplices.
The NBI also took into custody on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 five Chinese nationals who were allegedly monitoring Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy activities in Palawan, including the resupply of troops in the West Philippine Sea.
In the latest arrest, the NBI said Tak Hoi Lao was caught on Tuesday in possession of an international mobile subscriber identity catcher, a device used to intercept mobile phone traffic.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Chinese man may also face possible violations of the immigration law.
Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the suspect, who is currently in NBI custody, arrived in the Philippines on April 25—just four days before his arrest—using a Macau-issued passport.
Sandoval noted that he had no derogatory record and that holders of Macau Special Administrative Region passports can enter the Philippines without a visa.
