Opening statement on the resumption of Senate hearing on Alice Guo’s alleged links to illegal POGOs

Good morning, Madam Chair and fellow members of this Committee.

Barely two weeks ago, talks have become rife that Alice Guo—or Guo Huaping—was a Chinese state security agent after Al Jazeera came up with a documentary that interviewed a China-born gambling tycoon, who is currently being detained in Thailand. In that documentary, the businessman has a dossier of his fellow agents at the China Ministry of State Security (MSS), which include Guo.

Her files listed that her mother is Lin Wenyi, and that her residence in Fujian province, when checked, turned out to be a local office of the Chinese Communist Party.

The MSS is the principal civilian intelligence, security and secret police agency of China, and is responsible for foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, and political security of the Chinese Communist Party.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, I am particularly alarmed by this explosive revelation. Could this be a confirmation of what we have suspected all along that our country now has Chinese “sleeper agents” in our midst? Or could this revelation be just a ploy or another propaganda?

This is a serious national security concern. There is a need to take a closer look into this and verify whether or not covert and illegal operations are being undertaken here as part of a foreign country’s global influence operation. We must identify all those who exploited the vulnerabilities in our system either for personal gain or for the benefit of a foreign entity and make them accountable.

Sa kaso ni Guo Huaping o Alice Guo, kaliwa’t kanan na ang mga dokumentong lumabas patungkol sa kanyang tunay na pagkatao. Pero ang taong ito na idinidiin na siya’y Filipino ay walang maipakitang ebidensiya para patotohanan ito. Puro “hindi ko na maalala,” “I invoke my right against self-incrimination” at denial ang narinig natin.

But one thing is for certain: Defending against malicious foreign interference should be a top priority.

Whether Guo Huaping leads a double life is up to the defense and intelligence agencies to pursue, and the Senate must be updated on any development.

I think it is also high time to pursue amendments to the 83-year-old Commonwealth Act No. 616 or the Espionage Law. I already filed Senate Bill No. 2368 and discussions to expand the coverage to include cyber espionage and provide stiffer penalties are in order.

As the Senate hearings come to a close, let us remind everyone that our investigations are not all for naught. This investigation has exposed the weakness in our system. And the hardest part of it is that foreign nationals are caught abusing our system.

Amid the refusal of witnesses to truthfully answer our queries, this Committee has been successful in connecting the dots to paint a larger picture of the extent of illegal activities involving POGOs, possibly in cahoots with public officials. And this Committee deserves all the praise for being instrumental in the cases filed against several individuals.

Sa usaping ito, muling napatunayan na walang lihim na hindi nabubunyag. Kahit gaano ka pa kagaling magsinungaling at magpanggap, lalabas at lalabas ang katotohanan.

Maraming salamat po, Madam Chair.