MANILA — There will be more arrests in the coming days following the arrest of a Chinese national suspected to be a spy, an official of the National Security Council said.

According to NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, the government has a “very solid case” against Deng Yuanqing, who was arrested along with two Filipinos, for alleged espionage activities on critical infrastructures like police and military camps and airports and seaports.

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“In reaction to what the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese government said, this individual will have his day in court… We have all the necessary evidence to prove his culpability,” Malaya said in a forum on the West Philippine Sea in Quezon City on Wednesday.

He said  the government has long been wary of how extensive foreign espionage operations in the country could be and has been taking steps against these.

“We have ramped up our counter-intelligence operations, all government agencies are looking closely at this issue so that we can unravel and disrupt their surveillance operations in the Philippines,” Malaya told reporters in a chance interview after the forum.

“Given the extent of the investigation being done by the government right now, marami tayong nahuhuli at marami pa tayong mahuhuli sa mga susunod na araw (we have made many arrests, and we will make more arrests in the coming days.”

Among those arrested are two foreign tourists, who claimed to be Taiwanese, whom residents in Palawan reported were taking cellphone videos of a Philippine Coast Guard ship in the area.

They also reportedly put up a CCTV camera pointed out to sea.

Malaya said authorities are still investigating if the two have links to Deng.

“Nakuha natin mga cellphone nila, mga equipment nila, at lumalabas doon na grupo nga sila,” Malaya said.

(We recovered their cellphones and equipment and it appears that they are part of a group)

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The Armed Forces of the Philippines underscored the importance of the public’s involvement in reporting suspicious individuals and activities, stressing that such should not be downplayed.

“We value the reports coming from our kababayans,” Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, AFP spokesperson, said.

PH NEEDS TO UPDATE LAWS AMID SUSPECTED ESPIONAGE ACTIVITIES – CARPIO

Former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio meanwhile said the Philippines needs to update its criminal laws, especially on national security, following the arrest of Deng and his Filipino accomplices for alleged espionage.

Malaya agreed, saying the country’s espionage law is “outdated.”

“It needs to be updated. There are several bills now pending in Congress. Unfortunately, given the lack of time that we have, probably this won’t be passed this Congress,” he said. 

“But this will be, again, part of the priorities of the National Security Council.”

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año earlier urged Congress to prioritize the passage of the amendments to the Espionage Act and the Countering Foreign Interference and Malign Influence Bill.

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