The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) maintain that the alleged Chinese spy is involved in "unauthorized foreign intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance activity" despite the denial of the suspect's wife that his husband is conducting espionage.

"Evidence-base is what we want, we have to work with empirical data. So, we do not work on hearsay, we do not base on opinions, and all those things," AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday.

"In terms of the interview that was conducted with the wife, the AFP understands her concern, being of course emotionally involved, being a wife, a mother. But for the AFP, we look into the evidence-based results of this investigation, and anything in our power to help in aiding that the truth comes out from this," she added.

In a forum in Quezon City on Monday, Noemi Deng, who claims to be the wife of the Chinese spy identified as Deng Yungquian, denied that her husband was involved in espionage.

Noemi claims that her husband is an employee of a Chinese self-driving automotive company, which she failed to name. He noted that it is why he had equipment for measuring the area of roads.

Deng and his two Filipino cohorts were presented by authorities on January 20 following their arrest last January 17. Robina Asido/DMS