The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Wednesday it had obtained information about a Chinese national suspected of conducting surveillance operations at Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) facilities in the Philippines.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the bureau had retrieved the suspect’s details after cross-checking them with their records.

Reports showed the 39-year-old Chinese man, who has been traveling in and out of the Philippines since 2015, is married to a Filipina. This raised questions about his ties to the country and his activities during his visits.

Viado said the BI has forwarded all the information to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Justice (DoJ), both of which are assisting with the investigation.

The focus is on uncovering the full scope of the suspect’s activities in the country, especially concerning the sensitive EDCA facilities, Viado added.

In addition to the legal proceedings that will be initiated locally, Viado said the BI would begin deportation proceedings against the Chinese national. He clarified, however, that deportation would not take place until all local penalties and legal obligations had been fulfilled.

The BI is also working to identify any foreign accomplices who might have been assisting the suspect.

“There is no place for these accused spies in the President’s Bagong Pilipinas. For their misdeeds, they will be severely punished,” Viado stressed, underlining the government’s determination to address cases of espionage and foreign interference in the Philippines.

The case has focused attention on the ongoing concerns over espionage and national security, particularly in relation to foreign nationals involved in activities that could compromise the country’s defense facilities.