Risa: Arrest of Chinese 'spy' near Comelec 'deeply concerning'

Senator Risa Hontiveros described Wednesday the arrest of a Chinese man with supposed "spying" equipment near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) building in Intramuros, Manila as "deeply concerning" not only for the upcoming Eleksyon 2025, but also the country's national security.

"The arrest of the alleged Chinese spy near Comelec is deeply concerning, not just for the upcoming elections but also for our national security," Hontiveros said.

"Kung mapatunayan na espiya nga itong Chinese national (If it's proven that the Chinese national is a spy), this will have serious implications for our already-fraught relationship with Beijing. Nang-aangkin na nga ng teritoryo natin, mangingialam pa sa eleksyon (They already encroached upon our territory, then they want to meddle in the elections, too)?" she asked.

As she acknowledged the efforts of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Hontiveros asked the agency to forward the findings of the investigation to the Senate so these could serve as reference to improve the Espionage Act and the Foreign Interference Bill.

"Government must remain vigilant. We cannot allow any foreign power to shape our politics, our national security, and our democracy," she ended.

The NBI arrested Sunday a Chinese man near the Comelec main office carrying an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catcher that can gather sensitive data and information like text messages, mobile numbers, and calls from mobile phones near it.

When GMA Integrated News asked the Chinese man, the latter said he did not what the equipment was used for. The man is in the Philippines on a tourist visa. Authorities are still searching for his companion, another Chinese man who was seen arranging the alleged spying equipment with him near the poll body's office.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said there was no need to worry since there was no election data in the Comelec headquarters.

He added that the Comelec conducted a test and its system was not compromised.

The arrested suspect was brought to the NBI-NCR headquarters, along with the confiscated IMSI catcher which will undergo a digital forensic analysis.

He will face a complaint for violating the Access Device Act and the Cybercrime Prevention Act. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

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