MANILA, Philippines — The economic adviser of former president Rodrigo Duterte was directly involved in Chinese intelligence operations in the Philippines and possibly in other illegal activities as well like the drug trade, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said yesterday as her committee concluded its investigation on Philippine offshore and gaming operators (POGO) being used as fronts by criminal syndicates.
“Michael Yang is a key actor in Chinese intelligence operations here,” Hontiveros said, referring to Duterte’s economic adviser who went into hiding after his alleged criminal links were exposed.
“He was the economic adviser of the former president. They’ve exploited us and betrayed us,” she said during the 16th and last hearing of the Senate committee on women, children and family relations, which she chairs.
The senator also linked Yang to Pharmally, the under-capitalized firm that bagged the billion-peso contract to supply the country with face masks and other protective health kits at the height of the pandemic.
She also cited the activities of a “web of people who used POGOs for their personal gains, for their selfish interest at the expense of the Filipino people.”
“POGO is a monster, this photo was given to us by one of our key informants and it further deepens what we already know,” she said as she presented images of 20 individuals, including Duterte, Alice Guo and Yang.
Hontiveros said the Senate probe has exposed the real nature of POGO as nothing more than a Trojan horse.
“The POGOs brought us nothing but nightmares,” she said.
Despite the many heinous crimes unearthed by the committee, including large-scale scamming, corruption, kidnapping, torture, prostitution and human trafficking, Hontiveros clarified that their objective has never been to prove any single individual guilty.
“Guo Hua Ping, this committee has unmasked you as a Chinese national mocking our Filipino identity to amass wealth and commit crimes against true Filipinos,” said Hontiveros, referring to former mayor Alice Guo’s real identity as a Chinese.
Addressing Guo, Hontiveros said she is “looking forward to the day you face justice.”
The senator said the Senate panel’s investigation, while establishing POGOs as fronts for scamming and human trafficking, has also set into motion legislative reforms to prevent another Alice Guo.
“This may be the end of our hearings on POGO, but this is only the beginning of the legislative reforms that we will strive to push, to ensure to every Filipino that there will never be another Alice Guo,” the senator said.
“Guo Hua Ping, I’ll make sure you can’t do this again. And everyone will learn from what you do,” Hontiveros added in her closing statement.
“For five long years, counting our pastillas investigation, the committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality tried to leave no stone unturned to unravel the many evils brought to our shores by POGOs, welcomed with open arms by the administration of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” she said.
Guo ‘agent of influence’
Guo was absent during yesterday’s Senate hearing as she had to attend a proceeding at the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 167 for qualified trafficking.
Hontiveros lamented irregularities in Guo’s birth certificate registration, immigration procedures, passport and visa applications, bank secrecy laws and in election rules.
She said the Senate President has committed to prioritizing the enactment of the Anti-POGO Bill to ensure that POGOs, in whatever form or name, would forever be banned in the country.
Hontiveros said the committee would hold on to the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) commitment to reach out to She Zhejiang for information in his possession on Guo Hua Ping, the Yang brothers and other possible foreign agents.
“We will also seek to obtain these documents preparatory to the committee report. Even post adjournment, committee retains its jurisdiction insofar as seeking access to She Zhejiang is concerned,” he added.
Hontiveros further questioned the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) about Alice Guo’s alleged status as a Chinese spy.
NICA deputy director general Ashley Acedillo confirmed that Guo could be classified as an “agent of influence,” using her position to shape public opinion and decisions favorable to a foreign power.
“What is applicable is she uses her influence, using her stature of position, to influence public opinion or decision helping to produce results beneficial to a country whose services they benefit from. To that effect that is applicable to her. She may be classified as such,” Acedillo said.
He noted that at present, there is no law that defines it as such.
On POGOs’ possible hosting of troll farms, Acedillo said, “We cannot discount the possibility that these POGO hubs are also operating as dual-use entities.”
Also yesterday, Hale Oliver Labayo, chief counsel of the SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department, said legitimate POGOs could not be prevented from applying for a new article of incorporation.
Asked if the SEC would approve an application of a POGO to amend articles of incorporation to become a business process outsourcing firm, Labayo responded, “Those who are legitimate POGOs, those that are not revoked and without violations can apply for an amendment and become BPO, provided there is a clause that they will obey the law.”
He said “there will be consequences” if they violate the law.
“There will be revocation proceedings because they did not fulfill their primary purpose,” Labayo said.
“I hope the SEC will be vigilant.Guard against these POGOs whose licenses are revoked and who are guilty of other illegal activities from rebranding as BPOs,” Hontiveros said.