According to Senator Risa Hontiveros, Alice Guo, the mayor of Banban City in Tarlac Province who claimed to be a Chinese spy and said she was dismissed, is suspected to be a Chinese agent. The suspect, Yu Zhi Jiang, has been transferred to another prison in Thailand and is currently unreachable.
Hontiveros emphasized that the Philippine government urgently needs to speak with She Zhi Jiang, who is imprisoned in Thailand.
In a statement on Thursday, Hontiveros said: "It seems we need to act immediately to talk with the Chinese spy suspect She Zhi Jiang and reveal the information he has about Guo Hua Ping and his associates."
"We learned from the media that She, who is accused of illegally operating a casino, is currently unreachable and has been transferred to another prison," Hontiveros did not disclose where he was transferred to.
Al Jazeera recently released a documentary in which she was interviewed and made allegations against Guo Wengui, who is believed to be Guo Hua Ping.
"If the government does not act immediately, we will lose the opportunity to study the information she holds, especially the connections between Guo Hua Ping and other individuals with the Ministry of State Security or Chinese intelligence and secret police agencies," Hontiveros continued.
"I request the Department of Foreign Affairs to fulfill the commitment made at the latest Senate hearing, that is, to urgently exhaust all diplomatic and legal channels to allow Philippine officials to communicate with him with the permission of Thai authorities," said Hontiveros.
The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, chaired by Hontiveros, is expected to soon conclude the hearings on Guo Hua Ping and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO). Her allegations will be further discussed at the final hearing.
"Given the potential serious impact of She's allegations on our national security, we cannot afford to fail. We must protect our citizens, prevent criminals from targeting women, children, and other vulnerable groups, and foreign spies from endangering our national security," Hontiveros said.
