MANILA – Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Monday called on lawmakers to amend the country’s espionage laws to allow the government to punish those who engage in these acts during peacetime.
Teodoro made this remark when asked about allegations that dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo is a Chinese spy as claimed by a documentary of a foreign news network.
“So this is a call to action, our lawmakers know of the urgent need to amend our espionage law to punish those involved in such acts, and so that the government can move or act to suppress it,” Teodoro said in Filipino at the sidelines of the inaugural Balangay Forum titled “Safeguarding Philippine Maritime Interest” at AFP Commissioned Officers’ Club at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Teodoro, meanwhile, said Philippine law enforcers are looking into this matter.
“What is clear is that she is not a Filipino. Secondly, she falsified documents to pretend that she is a Filipino and thirdly she was an active co-conspirator to a massive illegal criminal enterprise kung saan nagmula ang lahat ng illegal na activities. kung merong (which started all kinds of il and being a Chinese national and engaged in such kind of activities in this country, it still damages this country whether or not it is espionage,” he added.
During last week’s House Quad Committee (QuadCom) hearing, the panel played the video of Al Jazeera’s interview with Chinese tycoon and self-confessed spy She Zhijiang, who revealed that the dismissed mayor is Chinese spy Guo Hua Ping.
Guo was enraged over the video and maintained that she is a Filipino citizen and not a spy.
Guo is facing a string of cases for her involvement in the operations of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country. (PNA)