Senator Risa Hontiveros called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to arrange a meeting with She Zhijiang, the detained tycoon and self-confessed Chinese spy in an Al Jazeera documentary, to deepen the investigation into the alleged involvement of dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo to China’s espionage activities in the country.
Hontiveros said the revelations from the Al Jazeera documentary were pertinent to the investigation being conducted by the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, which she chairs.
“Around two weeks ago, Al Jazeera came out with a documentary that made stunning revelations about Guo Hua Ping, alias Alice Guo,” she added.
During the Senate’s continued investigation into illegal POGOs on Tuesday, Hontiveros showed a video interview with She Zhijiang’s cellmate, Wang Fugui, who claimed that Guo was a Chinese spy.
“The committee makes of record that it does not necessarily endorse the comments on the illegality of the arrest of Mr. She or its motivations geopolitical or otherwise,” she said.
“However, if our national security is implicated, it is our responsibility to listen and to investigate further. Ignoring these questions that strike at the heart of our national security would be the height of folly,” she added.
It was revealed during the hearing that She Zhijiang, and a certain Ma Dongli—the alleged handler of China's state agents—had traveled multiple times to the Philippines.
Citing records, Senator Win Gatchalian said Ma Dongli had been in and out of the Philippines from 1995 to 2019.
“Ma Dong Li is not, hindi siya bago sa bansa natin. In fact, checking the flights from 1995 to 2019, he traveled to the Philippines 37 times," he said.
Gatchalian also disclosed that She had traveled 20 times in the Philippines from 2011 to 2020 for 21 times.
“Si She Zhijang, hindi na rin bago sa atin. From 2011 to 2020, he traveled to the Philippines 21 times,” he said.
According to Gatchalian, these Chinese nationals he mentioned had been going in and out of the country.
“Labas-pasok sila sa ating bansa and we all know that si Mr. She, nakulong sa Thailand for the same crimes—human trafficking, scamming and other criminal activities,” he said.
Gatchalian also revealed that Ma Dong Li was the She’s partner in the Yatai Myanmar company, which operates a POGO hub ins Myanmar.
“So, in other words, magkasama itong dalawang ito," Gatchalian said.
Further, Hontiveros said her committee had validated some of the “verifiable claims” mentioned in the documentary and Wang Fugui’s statement, including She Zhijiang’s travel records and his deep ties to the Philippines.
“This is clear as day—the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) used local government units (LGUs) officials and law enforcement. There are indications that they were also used by foreign interests and nests of syndicates,” she added.
Despite being implicated in espionage, Guo has maintained that she is not a Chinese spy and denied knowing She.