NBI vows to work closely with AFP in tracking down 'spies, local cohorts'


The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday, Jan. 29, vowed to continue working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in tracking down foreign spies and their local cohorts in the country.

“The NBI and AFP will continue to do surveillance, interception, detection and arrests of any individual or group to prevent espionage in our country,” NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago said in a statement.

Santiago's statement after the NBI arrested in Makati City last Jan. 17 suspected Chinese spy Deng Yuanqing and his alleged Filipino cohorts Ronnel Jojo Balundo Besa and Jayson Amado Fernandez.

The arrest was conducted after the NBI received information from the AFP’s Naval Intelligence about a group of Chinese who came into the country to conduct espionage activities.

“We will continue to have good collaboration with the AFP-Naval Operatives in thwarting any attempt to obtain information, plans, photographs, on other data of a confidential nature relative to the national security of our country,” assured Santiago.

The arrested Chinese and his Filipino companions have already been charged in court by the Department of Justice (DOJ) with non-bailable espionage case 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.

The NBI said the three suspects were “caught in flagrante, conducting surveillance operation and unlawfully obtaining information involving our national defense, utilizing advanced technologies like Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Real-time Kinematics (RTK).”

It said the Chinese and his companions were roaming around Luzon using the equipment during their visit of military and police facilities as well as power installations and malls.

Director Santiago and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. commended members of the NBI’s Special Task Force (STF), Cybercrime Division (CCD) and Cyber Investigation and Assessment Center (CIAC) for the arrest of the alleged spy and his reported cohorts.