The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, vowed to unmask other foreigners working with a Chinese national who was arrested in Makati City last Jan. 17 on suspicion of being a spy.
“We will ensure that we will identify any foreign cohorts that might be in the country assisting him,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado in a statement.
Viado warned: “Spies have no place in the President’s Bagong Pilipinas. They will face serious punishment for their crimes.”
Viado's statement was issued following the arres of alleged spy Deng Yuanqing and his suspected Filipino cohorts Ronnel Jojo Balundo Besa and Jayson Amado Fernandez.
He said the BI has obtained the records of Deng which showed that he is reportedly married to Filipina and has been in and out of the country since 2015.
The information gathered by the BI has already been forwarded to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), he also said.
At the same time, Viado said the BI will be initiating deportation proceedings against Deng but assured that the Chinese will only be deported once all local accountabilities and penalties have been resolved and served.
Following the arrest of Deng and the two Filipinos, they were presented for inquest proceedings at the DOJ on a non-bailable espionage charge under Section 1(a) and 2(a) of Commonwealth Act of No. 616 in relation to Republic Act (RA) 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
NBI Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) Chief Jeremy C. Lotoc had said “na-establish po natin (we were able to establish) they are engaged in ISR operations, meaning intelligence, surveillance, and reconaissance operations to the prejudice of our national defense considering ‘yung mga target nito are mostly critical infrastructure na may kinalaman sa ating national security (their target are mostly critical infrastructure that has something to do with our national security).
Lotoc noted the Chinese and his companions have been roaming around Luzon using espionage equipment and visiting military and police facilities as well as power facilities and malls, among other establishments.