A Chinese national has been arrested by the Philippine equivalent of the FBI on suspicion of spying after allegedly being found with an electronic eavesdropping device in the trunk of his car.
The man, identified as 47-year-old Lao Tak-Hoi, was allegedly in a gray Mitsubishi Adventure parked outside the Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) headquarters in Intramuros, Manila, when he was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on April 29.
The incident follows a recent Senate inquiry that warned of efforts by China to influence democratic processes in the Philippines amid the Chinese communist regime’s aggressive island-grabbing in the disputed South China Sea. The Philippines is scheduled to vote on May 12 in its midterm elections.
The man arrested was in possession of an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catcher, the NBI said.
The spy device, which can mimic a cell tower, is capable of intercepting mobile calls, text messages, and location data within a signal range of one to three kilometers (about half a mile to two miles).
Footage of the arrest showed the alleged surveillance device in the trunk of Lao’s car. State media reports said the device was being cooled by a makeshift fan to prevent it from overheating during use.
NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin told local media that upon investigation, it was determined that the device had been brought into the Philippines as separate parts and assembled in the country.
“This is dangerous. This is dangerous to our national security matters,” the spokesperson said, adding that there are concerns the suspect was using the IMSI device to target the Comelec.
“That’s a possibility. We’re not saying that’s it, but that’s a possibility. Why would you go to our areas in Intramuros, especially the Comelec? We were alarmed because he approached such a sensitive government facility.”
He added that the NBI had surveillance footage of Lao and another Chinese man arranging suspected espionage equipment near the Comelec premises over the weekend.
NBI director Jaime Santiago said that his officers had been tracking Lao for four days before the April 29 arrest. They had observed him roaming the cities of Makati and Taguig in the rented vehicle. The NBI approached him after observing that Lao was making several rounds around the Comelec area in his vehicle.
The NBI said that an investigation uncovered information that allegedly proved the Chinese were spying. The Filipino accomplices told investigators they visited the palace, Camp Aguinaldo, Camp Crame, Villamor Airbase, and the U.S. Embassy.
Philippine Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said the new arrest validates warnings from authorities over threats of foreign interference in the upcoming elections. He said the IMSI was direct evidence of China’s covert operations in the Philippines.
“The arrest reinforces what we revealed [in the Senate report]: that there is an active attempt to undermine our elections,” he said.
He thanked the NBI for its “timely and critical action” to thwart Beijing’s “insidious plan” to advance its agenda.
Authorities charged Lao on April 30 with violations under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, the Data Privacy Act, and the Espionage Act.
“The equipment seized will undergo cyber forensic laboratory examination and data analytics to determine its intended use,” Lavin said.
The Philippine Department of Justice said that whether Lao can be released on bail will be up to the immigration department, as he is a foreigner. He is also charged with violating Philippine immigration laws.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said it was alarming to know a China-linked spy device was being operated near the Comelec headquarters.
“It’s quite alarming ... the president has this trust in the intelligence agents that lead the operation,” Castro told reporters at a briefing. “We will just have to wait for the final investigation on that matter.”
Lao told reporters in broken English at the scene of his arrest that he was a tourist and did not own the vehicle. He told NBI officers that he was “roaming around to take pictures,” NBI Director Jaime Santiago said on local radio True FM.
“Why is he obtaining data and images? His alibi that he is just a tourist is unbelievable,” he said.
Lao arrived in the Philippines on April 25 on a passport issued by Macao, which grants holders short stays without the need to apply for a tourist visa. It was his first visit to the country, local media reported, citing Bureau of Immigration records.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that tests showed “nothing was compromised on any of our system[s],” and that election data was not stored in the headquarters.
“What would be their purpose in doing that? Is it to enhance their mind conditioning efforts? We want to know that,” he said.
Chinese Espionage
Tolentino has called for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs to summon Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian to address the alleged acts of espionage by Chinese tourists.Philippine Sen. Risa Hontiveros said, “If it’s proven that this Chinese national is a spy, this will have serious implications for our already-fraught relationship with Beijing.”
Just days earlier, Tolentino and Philippine National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya reported that officials had also uncovered evidence of a social media “troll farm” operation paid for with a check linked to the Chinese Embassy in Manila with the intent to influence the May midterm polls to shape public opinion ahead of the election.
The Chinese Embassy denounced the claims on April 30 and accused certain Philippine politicians of playing the “China card” to boost their election chances.
Just days earlier, the Chinese coast guard unfurled a Chinese flag on a sandbar within a few miles of a Philippine-occupied island with a military base. After the Philippines responded with its own landing, China claimed that the island was part of its sovereign territory.
The NBI revealed on April 29 that it had subpoenaed a Makati-based firm allegedly paid by the Chinese Embassy to gather an army of “keyboard warriors” to promote a Chinese Communist Party disinformation campaign on social media ahead of the Philippines’ midterm elections.
Disinformation Campaigns
The NBI has warned Filipinos of misinformation and disinformation campaigns being pushed on social media.Santiago called on the public not to spread the intentionally concocted “rage bait” that stirs anger to draw engagement, which increases the reach of such content on social media.
“People should be aware of what a rage bait is,” he said. “When we encounter these posts, one should try to relax and calm down before engaging with it. This allows us to think before we act and avoid promoting this on social media algorithm.”
Santiago urged people to determine trustworthy parties for accurate information and the importance of distinguishing false from factual information.
Amid the warnings, the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party asked the NBI to investigate the source of an allegedly fake document linking House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe to a fabricated plot to politically undermine members of the Duterte family.
The document, which the group says contained a forged signature, was published in The Manila Times. It spread widely on social media on April 30, causing “significant reputational damage,” according to Lakas Director Anna Capella Velasco.
The party urged the NBI to request digital tracing information from social media platforms.
“We urge the NBI to treat this matter with the utmost urgency,” Velasco said.
She warned the political hoax could erode trust in the Philippines’ democratic institutions just days ahead of the May 12 midterm election.
Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Año on April 30 also warned Philippine nationals that a document alleging that the United States wants the Philippine government to prioritize the impeachment of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte was fabricated.
“That is totally fake news and fabrication. There is no such document existing in our records and even in the office of the Executive Secretary,” he told GMA News Online.
The United States has a 1951 mutual defense treaty with the Philippines and is engaged in a struggle with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for public and political support in the region.
