MANILA: A Chinese national was arrested while operating a surveillance device near the offices of the Philippine election commission, authorities said on Wednesday (Apr 30), less than two weeks before the country’s mid-term polls.
The man was allegedly using an “IMSI catcher”, a device capable of mimicking a cell tower and snatching messages from the air in a 1 to 3km radius.
Two Chinese men detained in February were accused of using the same device while driving near sensitive government and military locations in Manila.
National Bureau of Investigation spokesman Ferdinand Lavin told AFP the latest arrest was made on Tuesday near the offices of the Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) after agents confirmed the IMSI was in operation.
“When we made the arrest, that was the third time he had come to Comelec,” Lavin said, adding other locations visited included the Philippine Supreme Court, Department of Justice and United States Embassy.
The arrested man held a passport issued by Macau, Lavin said, while a hired Filipino driver who cooperated with the operation was not detained. Macau is ruled by China.
Beijing on Wednesday said it was currently in communications with Manila to learn more about the situation while denying any attempt to tamper with Philippine elections.
“We will not and have no interest in interfering in such internal affairs of the Philippines,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said when asked about the arrest at a daily press conference.
“We also advise individual politicians in the Philippines not to take the chance to hype up issues related to China, make something out of nothing and seize the opportunity to profit,” Guo added.
