MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines expressed concerns on Thursday over media reports alleging foreign covert operations in the country, saying it is coordinating with relevant agencies to address the matter.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) did not name any foreign actor or entity in its statement, but its spokesperson told reporters it was responding to an Al Jazeera 101 East documentary on a Chinese fugitive detained in Thailand.
The fugitive, She Zhijiang, is wanted by Beijing for allegedly running illegal online gambling operations.
In the documentary, he was quoted saying that he once spied for China and was recruited in the Philippines in late 2016.
He was quoted in the documentary also saying he and Alice Guo, former Philippine mayor of Bamban in Tarlac province, worked for China’s Ministry of State Security, the main agency overseeing foreign intelligence.
“The department has noted reports, press reporusts containing relevant information on alleged foreign covert operation in the Philippines, in accordance with its mandate to help protect national security,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza told reporters.
“The department takes such reports seriously and is monitoring relevant developments in this regard.”
When asked if the Philippines was coordinating with China, Daza said she has no information. The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the foreign ministry’s statement. The producer of the 101 East documentary did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
Guo, also known as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, ran for mayor in 2022. She was dismissed this year while the senate and congress investigated her alleged ties to offshore gambling operations targeting Chinese clients, and has been linked to criminal activities.
Guo, who is facing graft and money laundering complaints, has repeatedly denied she is a Chinese spy, insisting that she is a natural-born Philippine citizen, but Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is leading investigations, said she is not convinced.
Last week, Guo told lawmakers she does not know the fugitive She, after the lower house showed the Al Jazeera documentary during its investigation.
Guo’s case has gripped the Philippines at a time of growing suspicion about China’s activities following an escalation of disputes in the South China Sea where the two nations have overlapping claims.
(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
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