CRACK DOWN SYNDICATE: Sen. Loren Legarda urges the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to crack down a possible syndicate inside the agency that gives birth certificate to foreign nationals in order to obtain an authentic Philippine passport. During Wednesday鈥檚 hearing, May 22, 2024, of the committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality, Legarda raised the issue of fraudulent acquisition of birth certificate by foreign nationals as she grilled Bamban Mayor Alice Guo. (Bibo Nueva Espa帽a/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� For Sen. Loren Legarda, the issues surrounding Bamban Mayor Alice Guo are not only a 鈥渧ery serious national concern鈥� but could also be 鈥渁 creeping invasion.鈥�
Guo has been at the center of a Senate panel probe after her name was dragged into a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) raided by authorities early this year.
Legarda was among those who grilled Guo during last week鈥檚 hearing of the Senate committee on women.
鈥淚t could be a creeping invasion. Nakikita natin na hindi naman manggagaling na sa karagatan o sa ere聽 ang mga invasion ngayon. It could be cultural, economic and this time, it鈥檚 political,鈥� she said in an interview at the Senate.
(It could be a creeping invasion. We see that invasions now do not only come from the sea or air. It could be cultural, economic, and this time, it鈥檚 political)
READ: Hontiveros shows papers linking Guo and 鈥楲in Wen Yi鈥�
鈥淜aya dapat talaga tingnan natin ito. Saan ba nanggaling ito? Sa pagpeke ng mga birth certificates at聽 mga dokumento ng mga government agencies. Kaya ang posibleng taong dayuhan ay magiging Pilipino, at magiging kwalipikado para mahalal ng mga Pilipino?鈥�
(That鈥檚 why we really need to look into this. Where is it coming from? Through forgery of birth certificates and documents from government agencies. So a possible foreigner will become a Filipino, and will be qualified to be elected by Filipinos?)
鈥淪o napakaseryosong issue ng national security ang ating sinisisyasat dito at hindi dapat pabayaan ang hearing ng walang katapusan. It鈥檚 every inch a very serious national聽 security concern,鈥� Legarda stressed.
(So, what we are investigating here is a very serious national security issue, and the hearing should not be left without conclusion. It鈥檚 every inch a very serious national security concern.)
The senator feared that foreign criminals might have already infiltrated some agencies and other areas of national security.
鈥淗indi lang sa mga halal na position kundi na rin sa聽 ibang areas of security sa ating bansa,鈥� she pointed out.
(Not just in elected positions, but also in other areas of our country鈥檚 security.)
The possibility that was earlier floated by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who is leading the probe as head of the committee on women.
On Wednesday next week, the panel will hold an executive session to further probe Guo鈥檚 link to offshore gambling firms.
Legarda vehemently denied that the investigation was an attack against China.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing this for the Filipino people, the Filipino nation, upholding our rights as citizens of our beloved country,鈥� she said.
鈥淎nd this is for everyone鈥檚 sake including the Filipino-Chinese community. We鈥檙e doing it for everyone too. It鈥檚 really not just an economic issue but as I said a national security concern,鈥� she further said.
Gou earlier claimed that she was a lovechild of her Chinese father and his Filipina helper.
She likewise denied being a spy for any country.
NOTE: Some of the English translations in the article were AI-generated.