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Chinese, 2 Filipinos face raps for alleged espionage activities


A Chinese and two Filipinos have been charged before a Makati court for allegedly conducting espionage activities in the Philippines, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Thursday.

“The case is now filed with the Makati court. In other words, the prosecutors themselves find prima facie evidence to gain conviction,” NBI Cybercrime Division chief Jeremy Lotoc said in a media briefing.

The NBI arrested Deng Yuanqing and his two purported cohorts on January 17 for alleged espionage. 

The group allegedly frequently visited military camps, bases, power plants, offices of local government units, police camps, seaports, airports, and shopping malls.

They were presented for inquest proceedings before the Department of Justice for violation of Section 1 (a) and (b) of Commonwealth Act No. 616 in relation to R.A. 10175 or the "Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012".

Meanwhile, NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the court has ordered the transfer of the three individuals to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology from the NBI.

“There is already a commitment order for the first three to be transferred to the city jail, BJMP. Pero ganon pa lang po (but that’s it for now),” Santiago said.

The Chinese man's wife and parents have denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, anti-crime group Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) founding president Teresita Ang-See said she reached out to an expert who told her that the alleged equipment found in Yuangin’s vehicle are items that could be bought through online shopping retailers.

This was denied by Santiago, who said that though commercial-grade CCTV equipment could be brought through online retailers, what authorities retrieved from the vehicle was military grade.  

“‘Yan po ay military grade at hindi available sa Lazada at any market here in the Philippines,” he said. 

(That is military grade and that is not available in Lazada or any market here in the Philippines.)

“Hindi po totoo ‘yung sinasabi nila na commercial po itong nakuha nating equipment sa kanila,” he added.

(Their claim that the equipment we retrieved is commercial grade is not true.)

Aside from this, he denied claims by Deng’s camp that he is not a graduate of the PLA University in China. 

Santiago showed Deng’s supposed profile in a digital library, which states that he is affiliated with the PLA University of Science and Technology.

For its part, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said the military is relying on evidence in its probe into a supposed Chinese spy after his wife denied the allegations.—LDF, GMA Integrated News