POGO revelations raise national security concerns – senator

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

MANILA—Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Monday, September 30, that the ongoing hearings on illegal activities related to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) are uncovering significant national security concerns that require closer scrutiny.

In an interview with ANC’s Headstart, Gatchalian addressed allegations made by Chinese businessman She Zhijiang, who accused dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo of being a spy.

Gatchalian emphasized that these allegations, though serious, need further validation.

She, who is currently detained in Thailand on charges of illegal online gambling, made the claims in a recent Al Jazeera documentary.

These allegations were also raised during a hearing of the House of Representatives’ ‘Quad’ committee, where Guo vehemently denied them.

“This person [She Zhijiang], even though it’s reported by a major news outlet, we need to validate [the allegations],” Gatchalian said.

“Through an executive session, we need to ask our defense and intelligence establishments whether this information is true or not. Spying is rampant in major countries, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s happening here, but we need to ensure we curtail their activities.”

Gatchalian added that if the allegations are true, it would be unprecedented for a spy to have won an election, noting, “This would be the first time a spy has managed to be elected and gain legitimate political power.”

The senator, however, expressed doubts about She’s claims, saying, “I don’t think spies will admit they’re spies—they’ll probably deny it until the end.”

Gatchalian stressed the broader concern: the potential for foreign governments to infiltrate political systems to access information, intelligence, and influence.

“From a macro perspective, if this information is true, our political system may have been penetrated by a personality linked to the Chinese government,” he said.

He called for the government’s intelligence community to verify She’s allegations and investigate other claims of espionage in the country.

“Given the geopolitical context, we know these things are happening. We need to engage our intelligence community to assess the gravity of this issue and determine if there’s a breach of national security,” he added.

Gatchalian also suggested that information gathered from the recent congressional hearings could justify additional budget allocations for intelligence agencies to strengthen their capacity to detect espionage and other national security threats.

He proposed new legislation to address fraudulent late registration of birth certificates, which he said enabled Guo’s election to the mayorship in 2022.