Hontiveros urges DFA to work double time on interview request for Chinese 'spy' She Zhijiang

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Thursday urged the Department of Foreign Affairs to work double time on the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality's request to interview self-confessed Chinese spy She Zhijiang.

Hontiveros, committee chairperson, made the call amid information she got that She, who was detained in Thailand, has been transferred to a different jail facility.

"We have learned from media sources that She — who is charged with illegally operating a casino — is currently unreachable and has been moved to a different prison facility," she said.

"I am holding the Department of Foreign Affairs to its commitment during the latest Senate hearing that it is urgently exhausting all diplomatic and legal channels to allow Philippine officials, with permission by Thai authorities, to communicate with She," she added.

Hontiveros raised the need for the Philippine government to act on the request, considering the potential vital information that he holds about dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.

To recall, it was She who divulged in an Al Jazeera documentary that Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, is also an agent of Chinese Ministry of State Security.

"Kung hindi agarang kikilos ang pamahalaan, mawawalan tayo ng pagkakataon na pag-aralan ang impormasyon na hawak ni She, lalo na sa koneksyon ni Guo Hua Ping, at ng iba pang indibidwal, sa Ministry of State Security, o ang intelligence at secret police agency ng Tsina," Hontiveros stressed.

(If the government does not act swiftly, we will lose the opportunity to review the information that She has, particularly the connection of Guo Hua Ping, and the others, with the Ministry of State Security, or China's intelligence and secret police agency.)

"Given the possible serious implications to our national security of She's claims, failure is not an option here. We must protect our citizens both against criminals preying on women, children and other vulnerable persons, and foreign spies working to compromise our nation's safety," she added.

Apart from Guo, Hontiveros said that She allegedly has information that may indicate that one of the Yang brothers is a foreign agent.

Guo and Tony Yang both denied knowing She Zhijiang.

Guo repeatedly denied that she is a Chinese spy. Her camp also said that it was looking into the possible filing of a case against Al Jazeera for the "malicious insinuation."

Guo is facing a qualified human trafficking case before a Pasig court and a graft case before a Valenzuela court in connection with her alleged ties with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in Bamban, where she previously held the mayoral position.

Guo is also facing a tax evasion complaint, 87 counts for money laundering, and a perjury and falsification complaint before the Justice Department.—AOL, GMA Integrated News