In Newport Metropolis in Pasay, there’s a spa that provides a buffet, which Philippine undercover informants have been monitoring. It’s a part of a nonetheless unsolved puzzle of China’s alleged infiltration, and even probably cyber assaults, towards the Philippines by spies and affect brokers disguising as traders.
So when a Chinese language businessman’s software for Filipino citizenship reached the Senate (as citizenship grants should be enacted by legislation), Senator Risa Hontiveros sounded the alarm that one of many businessman’s firms was in the identical constructing as that spa.
The spa in Newport has markings of Yatai. Though Yatai — which accurately means “Asia Pacific” — is a standard model title for the Chinese language, Hontiveros had mentioned earlier than that there’s purpose to imagine that is the She Zhijiang-owned Yatai Worldwide Holding Group.
This Yatai group is what international operatives have recognized as being behind alleged crimes like human trafficking and cyber fraud. It’s why the Chinese language-born She is needed in China, detained in Thailand, and sanctioned by the UK. She, who additionally holds a Cambodian citizenship, has confessed to being a spy for China, and has accused Alice Guo of being a fellow spy, which the disgraced former Bamban, Tarlac mayor has denied.
The spa advert additionally has the markings of a “9 dynasty group,” which, based on the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Fee (PAOCC), has the identical incorporators because the offshore gaming agency SA Rivendell World Gaming Company in Pasay Metropolis, that was raided in August 2023.
The Chinese language businessman wanting a Filipino citizenship is Li Duan Wang aka Mark Ong, who owns Avia Leisure Group that operates KTVs, lounges, espresso outlets, and many others. Its primary enterprise is to supply leisure areas to high-rollers who’re a part of a junket.
Junket within the playing world means an organized journey for VIP gamers to casinos in another country — it’s like a vacation package deal, with lodging and leisure. Hontiveros mentioned that Ong’s leisure membership has “completely Chinese language clientele” with no walk-ins allowed.
Ong’s Avia was once a flooring above the Yatai spa. Defending Ong, Senator Francis Tolentino mentioned throughout the citizenship listening to on January 20: “I feel the mere presence of an organization which, after occupying premises shouldn’t blot or contain a subsequent or a previous lessee in concluding that the presence of mentioned entity of ill-repute can tarnish the opposite tenants.”
Hontiveros additionally questioned why the 9 Dynasty junket group listed Ong because the operator, and Avia because the handle. Tolentino mentioned: “Ang nangyayari po, Mr. President, nagdadala lang siya ng participant. ‘Yun po ‘yung kanyang naging position doon, pero hindi siya ang may-ari nitong 9 Dynasty.” (What occurs Mr. President is that he brings in gamers, that’s his position, however he doesn’t personal 9 Dynasty.)
Hontiveros mentioned Ong didn’t disclose in his citizenship purposes his ties to Avia and 9 Dynasty. It additionally nervous Hontiveros that Yatai advertises Avia as its subsidiary. Ong likewise declared himself a Filipino after they registered Avia within the Securities and Change Fee. Tolentino described this as unintentional omission.
“You can’t be a Filipino citizen whereas making use of to be one. Each info can’t be true on the similar time. This clear lie already suggests dangerous religion on the a part of the applicant,” Hontiveros mentioned.
The Chinese language community
Ong grew to become extra suspect to Hontiveros due to a photograph displaying him with Duanren Wu, the proprietor of the actual property firm in Porac, Pampanga that hosted the alleged POGO rip-off farm raided in 2024. Wu is evading felony investigations right here.
“It shouldn’t encourage confidence in us senators that [Ong] is an affiliate of a fugitive and a POGO boss embroiled in human trafficking. Sana suriing mabuti ng mga kapwa ko senador itong background ni [Ong] kasi nagwawagayway ang mga purple flag ng aplikante (I hope my colleagues intently study Ong’s background as a result of the purple flags are up),” Hontiveros mentioned.
“Guilt can’t be inferred solely by affiliation, pictures, or a photograph with somebody accused of against the law,” Tolentino mentioned within the listening to.
Wu’s goddaughter is Katherine Cassandra Ong, who has publicly declared a romantic relationship with Wesley Guo, the brother of Alice Guo. This community ultimately connects to Michael Yang, former presidential financial adviser to Rodrigo Duterte.
Yang’s center brother Hongjiang Yang holds a joint checking account with one of many house owners of the corporate within the compound in Bamban, Tarlac.
Hontiveros had earlier mentioned that She’s information included a file on Tony Yang, the eldest brother of Michael Yang. Tony Yang attended the Senate listening to on November 26 and mentioned by an interpreter that he doesn’t know She and that he had no thought how his data ended up with She.
Hontiveros additionally confirmed a photograph of She with Michael Yang. “It additional deepens what we already know — Michael Yang is a key actor in Chinese language intelligence operations right here,” mentioned Hontiveros. Duterte had beforehand described Yang as an important hyperlink to entice Chinese language companies.
Michael Yang left the Philippines for Dubai in Might, when he was starting to be investigated by the Home quad committee.
Financial investments used as fronts
The considerations over the ties to Yatai and 9 Dynasty are bolstered by intelligence that Chinese language investments have been used as fronts for espionage.
“There was a confluence of the enlargement of Chinese language financial funding actions, with the enlargement of the nexus of espionage and felony actions,” Ashley Acedillo, Deputy Director Basic of the Nationwide Intelligence Coordinating Company (NICA), informed the Senate on November 26, 2024.
With out declaring that She was concerned, Acedillo mentioned that the Philippines had been a goal of the so-called APT (Superior Persistent Menace) teams. Acedillo mentioned these cyber assaults bypass telecommunications towers by faux cell websites operated by hackers. However our cell phones will not be able to detecting that these cell websites will not be respectable.
Going through extradition to China, She is attempting to hawk his story that he holds useful data helpful to “nations who need to advocate for peace,” Wang Fu Gui, who’s the information custodian of She, informed the Senate. Wang mentioned that She’s information include data on APT and extra.
“APT is only a small portion of the numerous extra data inside Mr. She, I apologize if I can solely provide the minimal data,” Wang informed the Senate by an interpreter.
Doubling down
Hontiveros additionally sounded the alarm that Ong is a member of an affiliation primarily based within the Philippines that, based on her, “is a part of the united entrance work of the Communist Get together of China.”
This comes after the joint drive of the Division of Justice and Bureau of Immigration caught a person they known as a Chinese language spy who embedded himself within the Philippines for greater than a decade, and obtained a everlasting residence standing by way of marriage to a Filipina. Operatives mentioned the person was caught with an gear highly effective sufficient it will probably take knowledge remotely from a tool with out taking maintain of it.
Throughout the listening to, Hontiveros requested, “Do you suppose it ought to disqualify an applicant from Filipino citizenship if he’s a member of a gaggle that might probably be concerned in malign overseas affect?”
“He has no affiliation with the Communist Get together of China or even when there’s a Communist Get together of the Philippines proper now,” mentioned Tolentino.
Hontiveros has known as on the Senate to disclaim Ong Filipino citizenship.
Hontiveros’ efforts complement these of her counterparts on the Home of Representatives quad committee, who beneficial that costs be filed towards Chinese language businessmen in Pampanga who personal the warehouse the place seized shabu was discovered.
In an announcement on January 20, the Nationwide Safety Council urged Congress to “prioritize the passage of the amendments to the Espionage Act in addition to the Countering International Interference and Malign Affect invoice.” – Rappler.com
