Chinese national with spying device charged with espionage, other crimes

Authorities have already filed a criminal case against the Chinese national arrested Tuesday for allegedly carrying an eavesdropping device near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines–Authorities have already filed a criminal case against the Chinese national arrested Tuesday for allegedly carrying an eavesdropping device near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila.

READ: Chinese with spying device nabbed near Comelec 

On Wednesday, Tak Hoi Lao underwent an inquest proceeding before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for misuse of devices, illegal interception, and system interference, both under Section 4 of Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and espionage under Section 1 of Commonwealth Act No. 616, also known as the Espionage Act of 194, as amended with R.A. 10175.

An inquest proceeding is a summary procedure to determine whether an individual arrested without a warrant will be released on account of a dismissal of charges, released for further preliminary investigation proceedings, or charged in court.

During the inquest, the suspect may ask for a preliminary investigation by signing a waiver of detention or letting the prosecutor, based on the evidence at hand, decide whether to dismiss the case or file it in court.

Immigration records showed that Tak arrived in the country only last April 25 and has no derogatory records.

“We have already coordinated with the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to share details about his record,” BI spokesman Dana Sandoval said.

Seized from Tak’s vehicle is believed to be an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catcher, which is capable of intercepting mobile phone communications and tracking location data.

Tak is currently under the custody of the NBI pending resolution of the inquest proceedings.