Q.C. court allows digital forensic exam of Chinese ‘spy’ gadgets
THE Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 90 this week allowed the Philippine National Police to examine the computer gadgets of a suspected ‘Chinese Spy’ accused of hacking information from vital Philippine installations and foreign installations including that of the United States.
Judge Maria Zoraida S. Zabat Tuazon issued the Warrant to Examine Computer Data (WECD) and gave go signal to the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group to conduct digital forensic examination of the computer wares recovered from Yuhang Liu, 32, of A705 Marina Seaview Residence Project in Parañaque City, following a request from the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the PNP-ACG.
The judge granted the PNP request after examining under oath two (officers of the PNP-CIDG, Major Mae Ann R. Cunanan and Colonel Kyle Gabriel O. Bautista and finding there is a probable cause to believe that a violation of Section 4 (a) (2) or ‘illegal interception’ and (5) (ii) or ‘Misuse of Devices’ of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 ‘has been committed, is about to be committed and will be committed.’
The WECD allowed the PNP-ACG to examine an iPhone 15, a radio receiver/transmitter, an Apple Tablet, two mobile phones, an Honor laptop computer, four mobile phones, an aerial drone, and computer CPU or Central Processing Unit recovered from the suspect.
The same order also includes the examination of the mobile phone data logs, communication records be it Short Message Service (SMS) messages or call logs, going in and coming out from the said mobile number which shall include their dates and time and places of access and other pertinent information/data and noticeable evidences that will lead to the commission of the offense/s.
Last June 11, Judge Andres B. Soriano of the Makati City RTC Branch 148 also issued a Warrant to Disclose Computer Data or WCCD to examine all the software data recovered from Liu.
Members of the CIDG-NCRF headed by Colonel Joel Manuel A. Ana arrested the suspect who yielded a pistol in an operation in Barangay San Isidro in Makati City following a complaint he was threatening another person with his gun.
Judge Soriano also directed the CIDG-NCRFU to retain and utilize the seized and The Journal Group earlier reported that a ‘landmark spying case’ in the country involving Chinese agents is shaping up as the PNP and Armed Forces officials continued to wait for a court order to examine digital wares recovered from the Chinese national in Pasay City last May 29.
The suspect yielded several hi-tech equipment believed to be used in ‘spying,’ collecting confidential documents and other communication and developing networks.
Officials cited that Liu may be among the ‘civilian and military components’ of the Chinese government in gathering intelligence information in the country.
The suspect is believed to have previously frequented areas very near the AFP general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, the PNP-NHQ in Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard in Manila and the Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio and even the United States and Japanese Embassies.
