Hontiveros ‘shocked’ citizenship for Chinese with alleged POGO ties nearing Senate OK

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Thursday said she is "shocked" that the bill granting Chinese national Li Duan Wang Filipino citizenship is nearing approval in the upper chamber despite "red flags" in his background.

The bill was approved in the Senate on second reading without amendments last January 20.

"Nakaka-shock na naka-advance siya ganitong ka layo sa naturalization process kahit ang dami-daming red flags sa kanyang background. Hindi lang ito simpleng pamemeke ng citizenship sa isang local civil registrar sa isang probinsya natin, dito mismo sa Senado at House of Representatives. So huwag po sana tayong magpaloko dito," Hontiveros said during the Kapihan sa Senado.

(It is shocking that he has advanced this far in the naturalization process with so many red flags in his background. This is not a simple faking of one's citizenship at a local civil registrar in a province; it is happening here at the Senate and the House of Representatives. Let us please not be fooled.)

The senator said it is not certain that Li Duan Wang, whom she said has been identifying himself also as Mark Ong, will give his full loyalty to the Philippines.

"Kung mabibigyan siya ng Filipino citizenship ng Kongreso, saan yung kanyang loyalties? Sa Pilipinas ba talaga o sa China pa rin?...Kaya nananawagan ako na ipagkait ng Senado ang Filipino citizenship sa kanya," she asked.

"If Congress gives him full citizenship, where will his loyalties be? To the Philippines or to China still? That is why I am calling for the Senate to deny him Filipino citizenship.)

According to Hontiveros, Wang Li Duan was seen with Duanren Wu—one of the alleged bosses behind the POGO in Porac, Pampanga and who was named as the godfather of Cassandra Li Ong—at an exclusive casino grand launch in Clark, Pampanga.

Hontiveros said the Chinese national did not disclose in his application for naturalization that he is a "junket operator" for the said casino firm.

"Bakit kung talagang hindi iligal o legal ang junket, e di bakit niya inilihim at hindi dinisclose? Meron ba siyang kababalaghang ginagawa dito sa ating bansa?" she asked.

(If the junket truly isn't illegal, why did he keep it secret or not disclose it? Did he do something here in the country?)

Further, the senator flagged Wang's declaration that he is a Filipino in the Articles of Incorporation and by-laws of his company Avia International Club, a firm which was also not disclosed in his naturalization application.

One of the red flags that Hontiveros also brought up was the connection of Avia International Club with Yatai Spa which, she said, was be linked to She Zhijian, the self-confessed spy in the Al Jazeera documentary.

The senator also said Wang has several taxpayer identification numbers which is prohibited under the law.

The bill on Wang's naturalization has originated from the House of Representatives and was sent to the Senate for concurrence. — BM, GMA Integrated News