Detained Chinese ‘spy’ tags Alice Guo as asset

Dismissed mayor pleads not guilty to trafficking raps

MANILA, Philippines — A self-confessed Chinese spy has linked detained former Bamban mayor Alice Guo to China’s civilian intelligence, security and secret police agency.

She Zhijiang, a tycoon currently detained in Thailand, spoke exclusively with Al Jazeera in a documentary titled “She Zhijiang: Discarded Chinese spy or criminal mastermind?”

In the documentary, She claimed that he was an agent of China’s Ministry of State Security and that he was recruited in 2016 by a man he met in the Philippines.

She, who is fighting extradition to China over charges related to operating online gambling sites, said the man promised to “get rid” of the case against him in exchange for being a spy for the Chinese government.

Through a custodian, She gave Al Jazeera access to some files that supposedly prove his claim of being a Chinese spy.

Among the documents was a dossier about Guo Hua Ping, the supposed Chinese name of Alice Guo.

The dossier listed China as Guo’s place of birth and also identified her mother as a certain Lin Wen Yi, the same Chinese woman that has been brought up during Senate hearings regarding Guo’s identity.

It also listed Guo’s supposed address in China, which Al Jazeera found to be the address of the local office of the Chinese communist party.

Al Jazeera also spoke with residents in Fujian, who claimed that they recognize Guo as the daughter of Lin Wen Yi. The resident supposedly confirmed that she was born in the area and only left around 2002.

In the documentary, She admitted talking to Guo using his handler’s mobile phone when Guo supposedly asked for financial assistance to support her campaign.

She said he declined the request so as not to “offend the Philippine government.”

He had a message for Guo: “China cannot be trusted. The two of us dedicated our lives to China’s Ministry of State Security. Look at what happened to me. If you don’t want to be eliminated, you should tell the world the truth.”

She was arrested by Thai authorities following a red notice list issued by the Interpol. It was based on an arrest warrant issued in China.

She claimed that China wanted to silence him due to the extent of his knowledge related to its intelligence and spying activities.

“I was exposed to secrets about Chinese state security and Belt and Road projects… They will definitely kill me if I’m sent back to China,” he said.

During Senate hearings, Guo has repeatedly denied being a Chinese citizen and a Chinese spy and maintained that she is a Filipino.

Not guilty plea

Guo yesterday pleaded not guilty on the qualified trafficking charges filed against her by the Department of Justice (DOJ) before the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC), her lawyer Nicole Jamilla said.

In a chance interview, Jamilla said that Guo maintained her innocence during the arraignment and pre-trial proceedings which Guo attended through video-conferencing.

“Of course, she is really not guilty of the crime. As they said, the allegation is qualified human trafficking. No. 1, she has no participation,” Jamilla said.

Jamilla said the continuation of the pre-trial has been set on Oct. 1.

Meanwhile, the Pasig RTC deferred the arraignment of Malaysian national Walter Wong Long, one of Guo’s co-accused in the qualified trafficking charges.

Long’s lawyer Christian Vargas said the court granted their motion to suspend the proceedings because Long was not given due process through a preliminary investigation.

“Because what they (DOJ) did, even if he (Long) was not included in the preliminary investigation, the DOJ still included him in the case. This thing done by the DOJ is alarming and worrisome,” he said.

Vargas said Long is still in a Tarlac jail.

Doctors have ordered Guo to undergo a thorough health check-up because of her lung infection, Jamilla said.

“Her ailment is not TB (tuberculosis), but lung infection. That is why she is still wearing mask,” she said.

Jamilla added that the Pasig City Jail female dormitory is treating Guo as a regular detainee with no special privileges. — Jose Rodel Clapano