Dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, Alice Guo attends the senate hearing called by the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality in Pasay City on September 9, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA(2nd UPDATE)— Wang Fugui, a Chinese who supposedly holds the files of Chinese tycoon turned spy She Zhijiang, personally confirmed to the office of Sen. Risa Hontiveros that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is a spy based on She’s documents.

Guo’s real name is alleged to be Guo Hua Ping, the same name as a Chinese national whom the National Bureau of Investigation says has the same fingerprints as the dismissed mayor.

• Supposed Chinese spy in Thai jail rekindles suspicion Alice Guo is a Beijing asset

Guo has repeatedly denied the spy allegation and says she is a Filipino citizen.

On Thursday, she insisted she does not know the Chinese tycoon turned spy She Zhijiang who was featured in an Al Jazeera documentary and who said Guo was a fellow agent.

Guo also has no idea who Ma Dongli is, the supposed contact of She to China’s Ministry of State Security.

“Wala po akong handler, hindi po ako spy, hindi ko po sya kilala,” Guo told the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality in Tuesday’s hearing.

Guo then asked Senators for help to investigate the accusations of She and Wang Fugui, She’s Chinese friend who supposedly has his files, which includes information on the dismissed mayor.

Guo said her camp has already decided to file a case against Al Jazeera.

“Tulungan niyo po ako mag-imbestiga. Hindi po ako spy at para naman po hindi ako magmukhang kawawa talaga,” she appealed.

The Chinese Embassy has yet to issue a statement on Guo, but said earlier this year that spy fears are "Sinophobic sentiments" and urged "relevant parties in the Philippines" to "stop spinning false narratives and arousing anti-China sentiments."

'GUO NOT A SPECIAL SPY'

Wang was first interviewed in an Al Jazeera documentary where She Zhijiang claimed that Guo is a spy for China's Ministry of State Security like he is.

Hontiveros’ office tried to get in touch with She but was not given access to him, prompting them to reach out to Wang, a former cellmate of She in Thailand and who was imprisoned for a year and a half due to credit card fraud.

The virtual interview of Hontiveros’ office with Wang was shown during Tuesday’s Senate hearing.

“We were good friends who trusted each other and lived in prison,” Wang said about She.

“After my release, he entrusted me to handle some of his declassified file matters.”

• Only court can stop Guo from running for Bamban mayor again — lawyer

Asked how Wang came to the conclusion that Guo is a spy, he said that is based on part of She's file that he has been authorized to access and divulge.

“Guo Hua Ping was a spy but not a special one. It just so happens there is a copy of her state security background there,” Wang said.

Wang could not answer what Guo’s assignment was or what information she allegedly passed on to the Chinese government but he said some special agents collect intelligence, while others further the political and economic interests of China.

“Her campaign itself was arranged by Chinese state security,” he said about Guo.

Last month, Guo confirmed that a community in China congratulated her through an ad in a Chinese newspaper when she won as Bamban mayor in the 2022 polls.

But when asked by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada why She would name her a spy, Guo said the jailed supposed spy needed "media mileage" and reiterated she did know him.

"Baka may iba siyang motibo ngayon pero ako po, di po ako spy," Guo said.

(Maybe he has other motives, but, I'm not a spy.)

'GUO HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO LISTEN TO MSS'

Citing alleged conversations with She, Wang said the MSS conducts deep background investigations, including through “special hacking teams and hometown associations and chambers of commerce in charge of overseas information collection" to find secrets and weaknesses to help it control field agents.

“Guo Hua Ping's fake Filipino identity is such a secret and weakness that she can only listen to State Security,” he added.

Wang believes Guo’s contact with China’s State Security is a man named Ma Dongli, who was also She's contact.

“He (Ma) is the second generation of the Reds, he has an American identity, he is also the Vice President of the Thai Chinese Association, he was the third highest-ranking member of the Yatai before Mr. She Zhijiang was illegally entrapped, there is a high probability that he is also Guo Hua Ping's handler," he said.

Yatai is the boom town in Myanmar that She helped put up and where gambling and scam operations are reportedly done.

HONTIVEROS: SENATE NEEDS TO TALK TO SHE ZHIJIANG

The Senate hearing was suspended to make way for the continuation of a closed-door executive session with Guo.

Hontiveros stressed the need to talk with She, adding that the tycoon and his former cellmate could have their own agenda and interests in linking the former mayor to Chinese espionage activities.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the request to talk to She could be made through the mutual legal assistance program, which could be requested by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

According to DFA Acting Director Atty. Amer Tago, there might be a chance through the mutual legal assistance where parties are supposed to provide mutual assistance on criminal matters; Thailand and the Philippines are signatories.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), the agency which is the central authority on the matter, said they will exert all efforts to get the needed cooperation.

“I have persuasive information that the file of at least one Yang brother is with She, conforming that Yang brother as a foreign agent. Kaya’t napaka-importante po makapag-establish ng communication kay She,” Hontiveros said.

Tony Yang, the brother of former Duterte Presidential Economic Adviser Michael Yang, said he is not an asset of the Communist Party of the Philippines and he does not know if his brothers are.

Yang also does not know She and Ma.

Information obtained by Hontiveros and Senator Sherwin Gathchalian shows the two have frequented the Philippines.

“Si Ma Dongli is not, hindi siya bago sa bansa natin. In fact checking the flights from 1995 to 2019, he traveled to the Philippines 37 times. And then si She Zhijang, hindi na rin bago sa atin from 2011 to 2020, he travelled to the Philippines 21 times,” Gatchalian said.

“So labas-pasok sila sa ating bansa and we all know that si Mr. She nakulong sa Thailand the same crimes, human trafficking, scamming and other criminal activities. Ma Dongli is a partner of Mr. She in the Yatai Myanmar company which operates yung POGO hub sa Myanmar,” he added.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed the travels of She and Ma to the Philippines.

It also said that it can be presumed that Guo and Shiela Guo lied when they said they left the country via boat. Information gathered by the agency supposedly prove that the July 19 arrival stamp in Sabah on the passport of Guo and others is fake. What is legitimate is their entry in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 18 via its international airport.

The Senate hearing had been suspended to make way for the continuation of a closed-door executive session with Guo. It has since resumed.

ACORDA

Also present at the hearing is former Philippine National Police chief Benjamin Acorda Jr, who is expected to clarify what his relationship with Tony Yang is.

Yang, the brother of former Duterte Presidential Economic Adviser Michael Yang, is being linked to POGOs. Cassandra Ong, Shiela Guo, Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo Calugay are also in the hearing.

“Una ko pong nakita at nakilala si Mr. Tony Yang last December 2020, nung ako po ay naging Deputy Regional Director for Administration ng Police Regional Office 10 in Cagayan De Oro City,” Acorda said. “I met him not on personal basis but him representing a business group in CDO city.”

“All my dealings with him were purely professional.”

As for the photo with Calugay, Acorda said it was just a courtesy call and he did not know who Calugay was bringing with him.

Acorda also pointed out that he even led the operation in the Bamban POGO hub few days before his retirement in March 2024.