NICA official: Alice Guo considered an 'agent of influence'

An official of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) on Tuesday told a Senate panel that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, also identified as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, is considered an "agent of influence."

"Within historical context, given that these activities have been common especially during the Cold War, the activities and the facts that have come to light so far in this committee and other committees especially in the House [of Representatives], point to the fact that she is [an agent of influence]. And even in discussions within the intelligence community, there is a consensus that indeed she is an agent of influence," NICA Deputy Director General Ashley Acedillo said.

While there is no law yet that defines what an "agent of influence" is, Acedillo said that what is applicable to Guo was her use of her stature to benefit the country that she is serving.

"There are several ways to define an agent of influence. What is applicable on  the part of Ms. Guo Hua Ping is that she uses her influence, her stature or her position to influence public opinion or decision making to produce results beneficial to the country whose services they benefit from. To that effect that is applicable to her and therefore she may be classified as such," he explained.

Acedillo also said they have yet to classify Guo as a spy or a foreign intelligence agent because it should be confirmed by the state that employed her.

"It requires a determination of fact, meaning that the intelligence agency to which that trained her, employed her, and supervised her or controlled her, either confirms or an officer of that agency confirms the existence or the fact rather of Ms. Guo Hua Ping being their agent. We have not come to that determination yet," he said.

It was Senator Risa Hontiveros who earlier floated the idea that Guo is serving as a Chinese spy.

In an Al Jazeera documentary released in October, self-confessed Chinese spy She Zhijiang claimed that Guo is also an agent of the Chinese Ministry of State Security and once asked him for campaign funds.

GMA News Online has reached out to Guo's legal counsel, Atty. Nicole Jamilla, for comment but she has yet to respond as of posting time.

Guo has repeatedly denied She's claim and said the detained Chinese national was just using her for media mileage. —KBK, GMA Integrated News