Malacañang on Wednesday expressed concern over the arrest of a Chinese national allegedly possessing spying equipment near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila, two weeks before midterm elections.

During a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro emphasized the need for a “thorough investigation” into the incident, citing a recent report from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“It is quite alarming,” Castro said, noting that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is confident in the authorities handling the case and will await the full results of the probe.

Philippine authorities reported Wednesday the arrest of the Chinese national who was allegedly operating an “IMSI catcher,” a device capable of mimicking a cell tower and intercepting messages within a 1 to 3-kilometer radius of a Comelec office.

The NBI has not ruled out the possibility that any obtained data could be used to influence the upcoming elections.

“When we made the arrest, that was the third time he had come to Comelec,” said NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin.

Earlier reports included surveillance footage from the NBI-National Capital Region (NBI-NCR) allegedly showing two Chinese men setting up equipment believed to be for surveillance over the weekend.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia stated that no election data is stored at the Comelec headquarters, adding that a system test confirmed no breach occurred.

The arrested Chinese national, identified later in the report as Tak Hoi Lao, was taken to the NBI-NCR headquarters along with the seized IMSI catcher for digital forensic analysis.

He will face charges for violating the Access Devices Regulation Act and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Wednesday that suspected Chinese spies arrested in the country are not entitled to bail if they violate the country’s Immigration Law.

Remulla’s statement followed Lao’s arrest, when he was apprehended inside his vehicle equipped with the IMSI catcher.

With Lao’s arrest, authorities have now apprehended at least 15 suspected Chinese spies this year.

Lao will be charged with misuse of devices and illegal interception and system interference under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and espionage under the Espionage Act of 1941, as amended, in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act.