JV Ejercito: I met local officials obviously from mainland China

Senator JV Ejercito on Wednesday said he believes more Chinese citizens are holding local government positions, some of them mayors and councilors, across the country.

The lawmaker made the remark amid the latest allegation that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is a Chinese spy whose 2022 campaign was "arranged by the Chinese state security."

"I am a national official. May nami-meet din akong mga officials ngayon na alam mong China man. Malalaman mo. I came from a Chinese school, I can distinguish 'yung accent at tyaka 'yung hitsura [of] those who were really Chinoys (Chinese-Filipinos)--'yung talagang dito na pinanganak at dito na lumaki-- at 'yung mga talagang China man na tinatawag, 'yung mga talagang dayo lang," Ejercito said at the Kapihan sa Senado forum.

(I am a national official. I've met before with officials who are obviously from China. You'll know. I came from a Chinese school, so I can distinguish the accent and appearance of Chinese-Filipinos--those who were born and raised here-- and those who are truly from mainland China-- those who are foreigners.)

"May mga ilan akong na-meet na nakapasok na...Elected officials...May mga LGU. Mga nasa konsehal na siguro, 'yung iba siguro mga mayor parang may mga na-meet na rin ako na mukhang 'di lumaki dito," he added.

(I have met a few people who are already in office...Elected officials...There are those from the local government units. Some are perhaps councilors, while others are mayors – I've met some who seem like they didn't grow up here.)

With this, Ejecito said the Commision on Elections (Comelec) should be vigilant so "we can prevent another Alice Guo (from) being able to run again in our government."

He also made the call amid the ongoing "conflict" with China in the West Philippine Sea.

"It's a wake up call for us na hindi natin pwedeng balewalain lang. Itong POGO issue dapat wake up call sa atin ito to be more strict with this. 'Yung mga tulad ng nangyari itong late registration, we have to put a plug in these holes para 'di na [ito] maulit and to make sure that we are protected," he said.

(This should serve as a wake-up call for us, and we cannot take it lightly. The POGO issue should be a wake-up call for us to be more vigilant. Incidents like the late registration that occurred, we need to plug these loopholes to prevent them from happening again and ensure that we're protected.)

"Buti sana kung normal situation eh but we are in... conflict with China. Ayaw naman nating mapasukan tayo dito...Baka mamaya pinaplantahan na tayo ng mga agents nila who will run as officials," the senator added.

(If we are in a normal situation we can take it easy but we are in conflict with China. We don't want them to intrude on our government system. They might be planting their agents who would run as elective officials.)

The dismissed mayor, whose fingerprints have been confirmed to be identical with Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping, has repeatedly denied that she is a spy and that she knows She Zhijiang who claimed to be Guo's fellow Chinese state agent.

Her camp had earlier raised the possibility of filing a case against the international news channel over the documentary.

Guo is facing a qualified human trafficking case before a Pasig court as well as a graft case before a Valenzuela court in connection with her alleged involvement in the illegal POGOs in Bamban.

A quo warranto petition was also filed against Guo with a Manila court as well as a petition to cancel her birth certificate before a Tarlac court.

She is also facing a tax evasion complaint as well as 87 counts for money laundering before the Justice Department. —RF, GMA Integrated News