Philippine law enforcers have arrested a Chinese national on suspicion of espionage after finding him in possession of equipment that authorities believe could be used to spy on military installations, Reuters reports.
The suspect, whose name is Deng Yuanqing, was presented to the media on Monday along with two other alleged Philippine accomplices.
Investigators said Deng is linked to the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Army Engineering University located in  Nanjing in China’s eastern Jiangsu province.
Jaime Santiago, director of the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation, said Deng was part of a group that authorities were tracking based on intelligence information that they had travelled to the country to monitor critical infrastructure, including military installations.
According to Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner, among the places the team visited were facilities where US troops were granted access under a military agreement. Brawner told the same press conference:
“We are just looking into the overall espionage effort of China.”Â
The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The arrest came amid growing suspicion in the Philippines over China’s activities, including those of its coast guard and fishing militia in Manila’s exclusive economic zone.
The two countries have overlapping claims to several disputed sites and have engaged in bitter confrontations at sea, accusing each other of trespassing. Santiago told a press conference, referring to Deng:
“We seized his vehicle, and mounted on it was an espionage equipment. It is possible that some of the collected information has already been transmitted to China.”
NBI cybercrime chief Jeremy Lotoc said Deng has been in the Philippines for at least five years, based on a copy of his passport. He also noted:
“We have dubbed him as a sleeper (agent).”
