Chinese national with spy gear caught near Comelec, raises security concerns
An incident involving the arrest of a Chinese man near the Commission on Elections facility on April 27 has triggered alarms regarding national security.
The alleged spy, identified as Tak Hoi Lao, was carrying an international mobile subscriber identity catcher near Comelec's central office in Intramuros, Manila. The device would allow him to collect data from cell phones within a wide radius and access calls, texts, and other communications.
Concerns were raised by Malacañang, with Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro saying that a thorough investigation must be implemented into the circumstances of the incident.
"That is an issue of national security. So, we will just leave it at that. And we will just have an investigation, thorough investigation on that matter," she said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
"It’s quite alarming and the President has this trust on these intelligence agents that made the operation," she added.
In a statement, Comelec Chairman George Garcia expressed apprehension over the news as it was an indication that any government office could be targeted by spies. He said that they are now focusing their attention on the telephone eavesdropping device that Lao was using.
"Ano ang purpose niyan? 'Yan ang gusto nating alamin kung ang information na gusto nila makuha sa phone o sa text, ano ang purpose para magamit laban sa isa't isa, gamitin sa mind condition. Yan ang gusto natin alamin," Garcia said.
While Comelec is still waiting for the report from the National Bureau of Investigation after it completed its examination of the equipment, Garcia assured that no election data or Comelec system had been compromised.
No derogatory record
Upon inspection by the Bureau of Immigration, Lao arrived in the country last April 25. He was found to have "no other previous travels in the Philippines" and has no derogatory record, according to spokesperson Dana Sandoval.
"His purpose of entry is allegedly for tourism," she said.
Moreover, Lao did not go through processes to get a visa to enter the Philippines since he came from the Macau Special Administrative Region, which allows travelers to enter the country visa-free and stay for 14 days provided that they have a return or onward ticket.
If they would exceed their number of stays, they would have to apply for a visa at the Philippine embassy or consulate.
"We are still coordinating [with the NBI] to share details about his record," Sandoval said.
Only taking pictures
The alleged spy has now undergone inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice for charges of espionage and violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 by misusing devices and illegally intercepting data.
Lao insisted to NBI operatives that he was a tourist and was only roaming around to take pictures. He also reasoned that he did not own the device as it was already in the car.
However, director Jaime Santiago countered this by stating he had been observed circling the Comelec vicinity for the past five days.
"The election is approaching. The suspect’s vehicle was parked in front of the Comelec. That’s concerning," Santiago said.
The incident comes days ahead of the 2025 midterm election, which is set to take place on May 12. There will be a total of 18,272 national and local positions in the upcoming elections. (with reports from Mayen Jaymalin, Evelyn Macairan, and EJ Macababbad)
