By Rodolfo Dacleson II
(October 11, 2024) – A progressive group on Friday stressed that the government must amend the Commonwealth Act No. 616 or Espionage Law to deter foreign spies from infiltrating the Philippines following the spying allegations hurled against former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.
Akbayan Party-list explained that the country’s espionage law only covers spying charges during times of war.
“Kailangan natin itong lagyan ng pangil upang hindi na sila (foreign spies) magtangka pang gawin ito sa ating bansa,” said the first nominee of Akbayan for the 2025 midterm elections Chel Diokno.
The call for amending the over 80-year-old law came after the testimonies of self-confessed spy She Zhijiang claiming that Guo was a state security agent of China in a documentary by a foreign media outlet.
ALSO READ: Guo’s camp says self-confessed spy implicating ex-mayor could be ‘artificial creation’
During a Senate hearing last Tuesday, She’s former cellmate Wang Fugui asserted that Guo was financed by the Chinese state security based on the declassified files handed to him by She.
Last September, the Department of National Defense (DND) said it will investigate the authenticity of the allegation against Guo.
ALSO READ: DND to investigate latest Chinese spy allegation against Guo
Guo has been accused of being a Chinese spy due to her lack of documents proving her
Filipino citizenship, claiming she grew up on a farm and was a “love child” of her father and their helper.
Last June, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed that Guo and “Guo Hua Ping,” a Chinese passport holder, are the same person through a fingerprint examination.
She is facing charges of human trafficking, graft, and money laundering due to her alleged involvement in Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).
Guo’s camp has maintained her innocence, denying the allegations.
The dismissed mayor previously escaped the Philippines last July 18 and traveled across Southeast Asia to evade arrest. She was brought back to the country last September 6 after being arrested in Indonesia.
Diokno, meanwhile, urged the authorities to probe into reports regarding other Chinese spies who allegedly assume local positions in various parts of the country.
“Marapat lang na ito’y imbestigahan ng ating pamahalaan para matiyak na hindi tayo napasukan ng mga dayuhang espiya sa ating pamahalaan,” he added. “Dapat panagutin ang mga nang-abuso sa bansa at palakasin pa ang ating batas para pangalagaan ang pambansang seguridad.”
(AAD)
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