Data collected by alleged Chinese spy may be used to influence polls - NBI

Metro Manila, Philippines - The data collected by an alleged Chinese spy may be used to influence the elections next month, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Wednesday, April 30.

NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin said Tak Hoi Lao, who was apprehended in the vicinity of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Intramuros, Manila on Tuesday, was operating an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catcher from a rented vehicle.

An IMSI catcher mimics network provider cell towers to gather subscriber data.

“While I do not want to jump into conclusion, there’s a possibility na ‘yung nakuha nilang data, depending on the nature of the data, ay maaari nilang gamitin sa scam; maaari nilang gamitin to manipulate government activities; maaari nilang gamitin to influence the outcome of the election kung mamanipula nila itong data, depending on the extent and scope of data collected,” Lavin told NewsWatch Plus.

[Translation: While I do not want to jump into conclusion, there’s a possibility that the data they gathered, depending on the nature of the data, may be used to scam, to manipulate government activities, and to influence the outcome of the election if they could manipulate the data, depending on the extent and scope of data collected.]

The spokesman said authorities were surveilling Tak for days. They noted that the Chinese national was in different parts of the metropolis such as the Villamor Air Base, United States embassy, Department of Justice (DOJ), Supreme Court, and the city halls of Manila and Parañaque before they decided to arrest him near the Comelec office.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia assured the public that data in their office was safe.

“Wala po kaming election data na nandoon sa main office,” Garcia said in a chance interview at Camp Crame in Quezon City. “Tinignan po namin ‘yung mga systems namin - ‘yung mga list of voters - na meron sa Comelec, maayos naman po. Wala po tayong nakita na any disturbance.”

[Translation: We do not have any election data in the main office. We checked our systems, including the list of voters, those are all okay. We did not see any disturbance.]

Lavin said the NBI has recommended to the DOJ the filing of charges against Tak for violation of the anti-espionage and anti-cybercrime laws.

Tak would face questioning at the DOJ on Wednesday.

Since the last quarter of 2024, authorities have arrested at least 12 people for espionage, Lavin said.