Malacañang has voiced serious concern after authorities apprehended a Chinese man allegedly in possession of surveillance equipment near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila.
“It is quite alarming,” remarked Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro during a press briefing on Wednesday.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has not dismissed the possibility that the collected data could be used to influence the upcoming polls.
A surveillance clip from the NBI-National Capital Region (NCR) reportedly showed two Chinese men setting up what agents believed to be spying equipment over the weekend.
Comelec Chairperson George Garcia, however, reassured the public that their systems remain secure and that no sensitive election data is stored in the Comelec main office. He noted that a system test confirmed no breach had occurred.
The suspect is now in NBI custody, along with the seized device—an IMSI catcher, which will undergo digital forensic testing.
Authorities plan to file charges under the Access Devices Regulation Act and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.