Law enforcers show the electronic eavesdropping equipment at the back of the car driven by a Chinese national arrested near the Commission on Elections headquarters in Intramuros, Manila on Tuesday (April 29, 2025). The National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday (April 30) filed espionage charges against the suspect before the Department of Justice. (Contributed photo)
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed criminal charges on Wednesday against a Chinese national who was apprehended near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Intramuros, Manila for possessing electronic surveillance equipment.
The suspect, 47-year-old Tak Hail Lao, was charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, specifically for misuse of devices, illegal interception, and system interference, as well as for espionage under the Espionage Act of 1941.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters that although the charges are bailable, the decision to grant temporary liberty rests with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), given the suspect’s foreign citizenship.
According to BI records, Lao entered the Philippines on April 2 using a passport issued in Macau, a special administrative region of China. Authorities confirmed he had no prior derogatory record.
Lao was found in possession of an international mobile subscriber identity-capturing device (IMSI catcher), a tool capable of intercepting mobile communications such as text messages.
Following his arrest, Lao claimed he was merely a tourist and said the vehicle equipped with the surveillance equipment belonged to someone else.