Hontiveros calls on the Senate to deny Filipino citizenship to Chinese national with POGO ties

PHILIPPINES, January 21 - Press Release
January 21, 2025

Hontiveros calls on the Senate to deny Filipino citizenship to Chinese national with POGO ties

Note: Please see attached powerpoint presentation in PDF

Senator Risa Hontiveros called on the Senate to deny Filipino citizenship to a Chinese national, Li Duan Wang aka Mark Ong, who has ties with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) actors.

During Hontiveros' interpellation on the Bill granting Filipino citizenship to Wang, the senator showed photos of the applicant, seen beside Duanren Wu — the alleged brains behind the POGO in Porac, Pampanga, godfather of Cassandra Li Ong, and a wanted fugitive in China — during an exclusive 9 Dynasty casino grand launch in Clark, Pampanga.

"It should not inspire confidence in us Senators that Wang is an associate of a fugitive and a POGO boss embroiled in human trafficking. Sana suriing mabuti ng mga kapwa ko Senador itong background ni Wang kasi nagwawagayway ang mga red flag ng aplikante," Hontiveros said.

"In his application for naturalization, Wang did not even disclose that he is the operator of 9 Dynasty junket group that has shared officers with Rivendell, an illegal POGO scam hub in Pasay. Nakakataas ng kilay na hindi niya sinabi sa application. Bakit niya itinago?" Hontiveros questioned.

The senator also uncovered that Wang, identifying as Mark Ong, represented himself as a Filipino citizen in the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the company Avia International Club, which he again didn't disclose in his naturalization application.

"You cannot be a Filipino citizen while applying to be one. Both facts cannot be true at the same time. This clear lie already suggests bad faith on the part of the applicant," the senator said.

Hontiveros then sounded the alarm about Avia International Club being associated with Yatai Spa, which is connected to self-confessed Chinese spy She Zhijiang. The senator added that Avia and Yatai share one building space in Pasay. In a document listing junket operators, 9 Dynasty also registers Avia Club Newport Pasay as its address.

The senator also questioned Wang's possession of several TINs. His TIN in his BIR ID is different from his TIN in his foundation, JuanCare. Upon verification, the TIN that was used for Juancare is already cancelled. Wang, using the name Mark Ong, also has another TIN used for Avia.

"Sino ba siya talaga? Hindi po legal ang pagkakaroon ng napakaraming TIN. Kung mapatunayan po na sinadya niyang kumuha ng maraming TIN, pwede siya makasuhan sa ilalalim ng ating batas. There is certainly a need to investigate this person further," Hontiveros said.

The senator also raised concerns over Wang's affiliation with Philippine Jinjiang Yuxi Association, which is said to be part of the United Front work of the Communist Party of China.

"I question where Mr. Wang's loyalties would be, if he is granted Filipino citizenship by the Philippine Senate," the senator said.

Hontiveros terminated her interpellation yesterday, declaring that she could not, in good conscience, vote to confer citizenship on Wang.

"I am shocked that this person was able to advance so far in the naturalization process despite all the red flags in his background. Hindi po ito pamemeke lang ng birth certificate sa isang local civil registry sa probinsya. This one is right in the halls of the Senate and House of Representatives, harap-harapan. Huwag naman sana magpaloko ang Senado," Hontiveros concluded.

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TRANSCRIPT OF INTERPELLATION: SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS ON THE APPLICATION OF FILIPINO CITIZENSHIP BY A CHINESE NATIONAL WITH POGO TIES

January 20, 2025

Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): Thank you, Mr. President. Good sponsor. Mr. President, when Mr. Wang submitted to the committee the list of names of the corporations he is involved in, did the committee look into whether or not there were companies and affiliations he did not disclose?

Sen. Tolentino: The committee considered the checklist being required by law to be able to determine the propriety as to whether the committee should proceed, similar to the checklist utilized when other persons applied for legislative naturalization, such as a certification for the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, clearances coming from law enforcement agencies, certified birth certificates, certificate passports, and other required documents.

I don't have the checklist here but the committee was apprised of the applicant's involvement in various corporate as well as civic organizations' activities. So the Committee on Justice pursuant to our rule, this is Rule 10, Section 29, the Internal Rules of Procedure, looked at the declaration of financial capacity, whether it possesses none of these qualifications under Commonwealth Act 473, whether there's a declaration the applicant, if naturalized, will obey all laws, issuances, rules issued by duly constituted authorities, as well as if there was a declaration, if the applicant understands that any declaration and application process would be a ground for cancellation of a decree of naturalization,as well as what I mentioned a while ago, the clearances, income tax return for the last three years, receipts of income tax payments, duly notarized affidavits of good moral character by at least two credible persons, medical certificate coming from a government hospital, photographs, written explanation by the applicant under oath, detailing the reasons for inability to comply with the requirements I mentioned, including if there is a certified true copy of ACR of applicants' minor children.

So all of these were submitted to the committee as part of Annex A, and these were all vetted coming from the lower house because this was pursuant to House Bill No. 1318. So in both instances, the appropriate committee of the House of Representatives as well as your committee here in the Senate duly vetted all the documentary requirements as well as the testimonial evidence required of the applicant. Your Honor.

SRH: Thank you, good sponsor, Mr. President. Kaya ko po itinatanong, Mr. President, is that my office asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to do a reverse search of the names Mark Ong and Wang Li Duan, at ito po yung lumabas. [slide 1] Of this list, two corporations jump out. Ito ay yung Avia International Club Incorporated and Powergate Infinity Holdings Corporation.

I'll get to Powergate in a minute. Dito muna tayo po sa Avia. Now, we do not know if all those corporations in that list are associated with Mark Ong and Wang Li Duan, but we are reasonably sure of Avia International Club and Powergate, and the facts later will demonstrate why.

Tama po ba, Mr. President, na kung ikaw ay nag-a-apply na maging Filipino citizen, ay hindi ka pa Filipino citizen?

Sen. Tolentino: There's a question here. Pag nag-a-apply ka pa, you're correct that you should not indicate that you're still, you're not yet a Filipino citizen.

SRH: Yes, Mr. President. Now, in the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of Avia International Club, Mr. Wang, identifying as Mark Ong, actually represented himself to be a Filipino citizen. [slide 2]

How do we know that this is the same Mark Ong as the one applying for Filipino citizenship now before the Senate? May overlapping incorporators sila and itong si Justin na nakapangalan sa Articles of Incorporation is likely the same son who appeared in the committee hearing as Justin Wang to support his application.

But even more glaringly, Mr. President, Mark Co Ong and Wang Lidwan also seem to have similar signatures. Ayan po. [slide 3] We do not even need to go to the other facts, Mr. President.

You cannot be a Filipino citizen while applying to become one. Both facts cannot be true at the same time. This clear lie already suggests bad faith on the part of the applicant.

But there is more. We were very interested in this Avia International Club and in the enquiries we made, we found to our great surprise that Avia International Club is associated with Yatai Spa, which is connected to self-confessed spy She Zhijiang. They actually share one building space. Actually, we've heard from some sources that Yatai claims that Avia Club is its subsidiary. Hindi po ba ito nakakapagtaka, o nagbibigay man lang dahilan para magsiyasat?

Sen. Tolentino: Let me answer in quick succession the queries raised by your honor. Indeed, there was a application filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and apparently, admittedly, the one who signed was the is now our applicant, but the answer given was that these were all prepared by the accountant, so he was just asked to sign, Mr. President.

Even the placing of, he was not assisted by counsel, even the placing of the tax account numbers and all information needed by the Securities and Exchange Commission were prepared by his accountant, Your Honor. So we vetted this. Bakit ganun yung nangyari. Pinagpirma lang daw sila to comply with the requirements of the SEC. Perhaps the inadvertence made here on the part of the applicant who was then an incorporator was the failure to understand the contents of what was signed.

From the legal point of view, because this was apparently done with the intent just to facilitate the registration of the same.

As to the 2nd question relative to the building that was occupied by, what was that again? the second, the Yatai Spa, Mr. President. Apparently, Mr. President, your Committee also conducted a inquiry concerning this and we'll have some photographs and documents to show, Mr. President, that the building itself, in the building itself, the tenancy of the lease contract of the Avia International Corporation was signed 2013, years, years, years before the Yatai, as mentioned, entered into a lease agreement with the landlord. And apparently, from the pictures that I will be showing, Your Honor, the occupants of the building itself are not just the Yatai, or whatever Yatai is, and this Avia International Club.

But there are some well-meaning tenants likewise who were there to occupy the lease premises. And if I can show the picture, if I can, I don't have, this is the building that probably your owner was referring to. This is in Pasay City. So you would see, can we do this quickly? Can we do this quickly? So you'll see that there is a metro supermarket. Can you do this quickly? Next slide please. There is a McDonald's which is an international food chain. And then next please, there is a 7-Eleven. This is near the Resorts World I think or this is near Newport City. You have BDO bank, you have RCBC bank. All institutions, recognized institutions, banking institutions, and then the second floor is occupied as a parking space for all the tenants, the banks, the corporate lessees of the building.

The third floor was occupied, is now closed. The third floor was occupied by Avia, and the fourth floor, which leased the premises. This is a certification from the barangay that this has been closed.

The fourth floor was the Yatai spa, who occupied the premises years after the Avia leased the same. So what I'm saying is this, Your Honor, doon naman po sa naturang gusali ay hindi lang naman po yung dalawa ang tenants na umukupa. Hanggang ngayon po ay nandun pa ang McDonald's, nandun pa kung saan ang mga pamilya doon sa tagiliran ay kumakain, nandun pa ang 7-Eleven, nandun pa ang mga reputable banking institutions, Banco de Oro, RCBC, there's even a Lawson.

Lawson, I think, is like a convenience store. And there are other reputable tenants there. Yung Avia ay pumunta po doon sa building noong 2013 at si Yatai ay 2017 or 18. What I'm trying to point out here is that the mere presence of a lessee, the occupation by a lessee cannot be attributable to a prior lessee or a previous or existing occupant.

A leasehold agreement is decided primarily by the landlord, selecting whomsoever should occupy the premises as long as it complies with the necessary regulations of the local government units. So makikita natin yun naman building ay may mga bangko, merong yung McDonald's, ay mga pamilya ang kumakain, family institution, ganun din yung Lawson, ganun din yung 7-Eleven. So siguro po kung nauna yung nauna siya at doon din naman nag-locate yung isa, ay baka hindi naman siguro attributable sa isang lessee kung bakit nandun yung ibang mga lessors. Hindi naman po magkakakilala yun, lalong-lalo na na iba't ibang taon sila pumasok sa lease agreement at iba't iba naman siguro yung nag-mamay-ari sa kanila. At ang nagdidesisyon naman po nito, ang bawal lang siguro ay hindi pwede ang Jollibee at McDonald's sa isang gusali. Ang nagdidesisyon po nito ay yung may-ari ng building.

Ang may-ari po ng building, kung hindi ako nagkakamali, ay Angkor. Angkor? Angkor Holdings, which is also a reputable land building developer, owned by one of our big corporations engaged in leasehold of premises.

So, Mr. President, Your Honor, I think the mere presence of a company which, after occupying a premises should not blot or involve a subsequent or a prior lessee in concluding that the presence of said entity of ill-repute can tarnish the other tenants. Definitely, the Yatai, should not block the record of McDonald's. Definitely, Yatai should not taint whatever corporate identity BDO has maintained and maintaining since its inception. And the same is true with RCBC, which is a big bank, by the way, and Lawson. ] I think Lawson is likewise of Hong Kong origin, that Lawson food chain. So lahat pong ito ay mere association with a neighbor who should not implicate that you're likewise engaged in the same line of business, Mr. President.

SRH: Thank you, good sponsor. Certainly, I'm not concerned about the relationship of the other occupants of the building. Doon lang talaga nag-zoom in yung atensyon ko sa Avia International Club at saka Yatai Spa At sa kaya tayo pa, na sabi nga ng good sponsor ay may ill repute, sinasabing the occupation of another lessee can't be attributed to a prior lessee.

Pero kung tama yung ilang impormasyong na kukuha namin na Yatai claims Avia as its subsidiary, so hindi accidental, hindi coincidental lang na mag-co-lease dun sa parehong building, even if four or five years apart.

The tenancy, at tapos yung sinabi na yung mga papeles na pinirmahan ni Mr. Wang o ni Mr. Ong, hinanda lamang ng accountant, and he was merely asked to sign. Pero syempre, alam naman po natin kung saan mang bansa natin gagawin iyon sa ibang bansa or dito sa Pilipinas, responsable tayo sa pagpipirma niyan.

And I will also get to some follow-up questions a little later tungkol dun sa mga inilagay na taxpayers identification number or numbers dahil may tanong din po ako dyan. Kaduda-dudua rin naman po na ang isang beteranong negosyante na binibida nga ang negosyo sa aplikasyon sa pagka-Pilipino ay hindi alam ang kanyang pinipirmahan. Of course that's a matter of great responsibility.

Sorry pero yung in-advertence cannot be an excuse for wrong nationality na inilalagay sa mga application documents because the question of majority nationality shares is material, for example, to the retail trade industry. So I'd like to make those further points of record na pinagmumulan ng pagtataka ko at yung pangangailangan na nagbibigay ng dahilan para sa pagsisiyasat.

And we actually dug even deeper, po, Mr. President, and looked into this Avia International Club. By all accounts, and from the disclosures of my informants, Avia International Club caters to an exclusively Chinese clientele. Bawal mag-walk-in, ha? Kailangan po mag-sign up sa online. And the online form is completely in Chinese. So sa negosyo nitong gustong maging Pilipino na taong ito, tila hindi bukas para sa Pilipino. So could the good sponsor weigh in on this, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: Just to revert back to the knowledge of the ownership of the premises, the building is owned by a reputable corporation called Mega World. Mega World is one of the big corporations engaged in land banking and leasing of business spaces. Owned by Mr. Andrew Tan, Mr. President, to place the name on record. So sila po yung nag-ve-vet noon.

Sa tanong po kanina na ito pong Avia na nandun sa 3rd floor ay nag-cecater dun sa exclusive. Ang naging tugon po diyan sa aking pananaliksik na hindi po totoo na yun lamang para sa Chinese, nagkataon lang na itong mga lugar na ito ay malapit doon sa mga ligal na casino.

Nandoon po talaga doon sa mga legal na kasino. Nandun po yung mga casino natin sa katabi. Nandun po yung malapit sa airport. Resorts World. Na napakalaki. Katapat ng NAIA 3 na pinupuntahan ng ating mga kababayan at mga dayuhan. At legal naman po, Mr. President, ang kasino sa Pilipinas, sa ngayon po sa napakaraming batas, Republic Act 9487, Presidential Decree 1869.

So, nagkataon po na yung pong mga pumapasok doon at nagpapahinga siguro kung sila man ay nag-cacasino sa isang legal na operasyon. Ang casino po hanggang ngayon ay legal. Ang kasino po ngayon ay hindi lamang operated by Pagcor. Kung hindi pinire-regulate ng Pagcor at napakarami nating casino, meron po tinatawag kasing junket.

Yung junket po, ito yung mga, hindi po bawal ito, ito po yung nagpo-provide ng mga players. Yung junket po ay isang term na yung mga players galing ng Macau, napunta sa Pilipinas, galing ng Hong Kong, galing ng Thailand, napunta sa atin. Yung iba naman napunta.

So yung casino po, may tinatawag na junket. Yung junket po, ito yung mga high-rolling gamblers. So ito po yung nagpo-provide ng transportation, accommodation, meals, entertainment, in exchange for the customer's commitment to play games, which is legal. Legal. So meron tayong casino junkets, meron ding corporate junkets. So ang pumupunta raw po dito, yung mga very important members ng junket. So talagang nagiging limitado dahil, siyempre sila lang yung magkakakilala kung magkano yung kanilang pinupusta. So, baka ang naisip ng iba ay very exclusive yung pinapasok.

Sen. Estrada: Ang pagkakaalam ko ang junket hindi pwede pumasok ang mga Filipino gamblers. Am I correct? Lahat dito foreigners.

Sen. Tolentino: Kadalasan po ganoon.

Sen. Estrada: Hindi pwede pumasok mga Pilipino dyan. No Filipino players are allowed to enter dito sa junket.

SRH: Yun din po yung information namin dito sa Avia, Mr. President.

Sen. Estrada: Kung Chinese, Chinese. Kung Japanese, Japanese lang yan. Singapore yan, Singapore yan.

Sen. Tolentino: Kasi galing nga po ng ibang bansa. Pag tayo naman nag-junket doon sa ibang bansa, doon naman tayo mapupunta doon sa mga tinitigilan siguro ng mga kababayan

natin. Baka ganun po siguro ang naging uri ng...

Sen. Estrada: Ang alam ko talaga pag junket, hindi pwedeng maglaro sa casino ang mga Filipino citizens.

SRH: Actually, Mr. President, good sponsor, may follow-up questions din ako mamaya ng konti tungkol doon sa junket. Pero at least, nai-establish po natin na yung isang primary corporation, yung aplikante natin nag-e-exclude po sa mga Pilipino. Kahit siya po ay di mo umano nag-aapply para sa Filipino citizenship, Mr. President.

Sen. Tolentino: Not necessarily, Mr. President, in terms of discrimination per se. But as what the good Senate President mentioned, the term junket holds a unique definition which would entail a combination of elements in the travel industry, high rollers in the form of casino, which again I underscore is legal, as well as a casino-based tourism arrangement between casinos and junket operators. Ang magkakausap dito yung casino operators at yung junket operators. Sila po yung nagdadala ng players doon sa Pilipinas.

So kung saan nila dadalhin yun, sangayon sa kanilang kasunduan, wala naman silang ginagawang kasalanan. And this is a practice all over the world. Pag nag-travel ka at ikaw ay high roller, natural, pupunta ka dun sa lugar na palagay mo ikaw ay safe, ikaw ay i-accommodate at kasama sa bayad mo yan, Mr. Presidente. All expenses paid trip na yung pamasahin mo, yung hotel accommodation, yung iyong pagpapahinga at pati yung pagbalik mo

Mr. President. Pati yung security.

Sen. Estrada: Sa pagkakalam ko, halos lahat ng mga casino rito which are being operated by Pagcor or being regulated by PAGCOR, meron niya ng kanya-kanyang junket.

Sen. Tolentino: Correct.

Sen. Estrada: Punta ko sa Solaire, may sariling junket yan. Sa Resorts World, may sariling junket yan. Okada. Okada, may sariling junket yan. Okada. Okada, may sariling junket yan., may sarili-sarili silang junket na hindi pwedeng maglaro ang mga Pilipino.

SRH: Mr. President, good sponsor. Sabi nga, may unique definition ang junket. It wasn't only unique until this plenary debate, pero hindi siya dinisclose sa komite. As I mentioned earlier, Mr. President, pupunta po ako dyan mamaya sa [isyu ng] junket, pero ang punto lang sa ngayon, wala pong lumabas tungkol dito sa mga pagdinig ng komite. Hindi doon dinisclose ng aplikante. Hindi siya forthright about that earlier in this process.

At ang mga dinidisclose ng business sa komite, walang gambling o junket. Tama po? Isang hearing ang cinonduct, wala siyang minention doon na gambling, any gambling connections niya, Mr. President. Tama po ba, good sponsor?

Sen. Tolentino: Mr. President, at the outset, I reiterate continuously that junket is not illegal. Junket is a mere effective tourism marketing tool to incentivize customers to promote travel, to promote a casino, which is legal. Which is legal. All our casinos have hotels, employ thousands.

So junket per se is not illegal. Junket is a way of promoting a casino as well as promoting tourism in the Philippines, bringing in players here, promoting employment. There is nothing wrong with that as long as they comply with the regulations promulgated by PAGCOR, existing laws. I mentioned the laws a while ago. And as long as they actively participate in promoting the travel industry. So a junket agreement is not illegal. Bringing high-rollers to a casino, is not a, is not an illegal venture. It is more of a marketing concept designed to protect, to entice casino players to go to a certain country.

SRH: Just to reiterate, good sponsor, is the selective disclosure. Kung hindi nga iligal, bakit hindi sinabi sa kumite? Bakita niya inilihim kaya?

Sen. Tolentino: I think Mr. President, that was not the intention likewise of the committee.

SRH: The applicant, Mr. President, not the committee.

Sen. Tolentino: The applicant, perhaps the applicant just complied with the requirements required by the committee, the checklist. So yung checklist naman po, nagbabayad ka ba ng buwis? Nagbabayad yung income tax return mo for the past three years? Siguro, nandun din yun sa mga binayaran niyang buwis. Ikaw ba ay may sakit? Ikaw ba ay may NBI clearance? Ito po yung checklist. Ito po yung checklist. So, wala pong wala po ako nakikitang nilabag dahil meron naman declaration ng financial capacity.

Wala po ako nakikitang nilabag dahil merong nilihim. Bagkus, ang nakikita ko po, kung ikaw ay isang iligal at meron kang masamang balak o tangka sa bansang Pilipinas, ay hindi ka lalantad para i-expose yung sarili mo, ito yung mga dokumento ko, ito yung pamilya ko, at dumaan sa isang proseso. Napakarami na ho nating hearing dito na lumalabas na yung iba ay nagawa ng fake na birth certificate, yung iba yung nagawa ng fake na passport, kung ano-ano pa. Subalit, yung ating applicant ay nasa open. Nasa open po siya, fire volunteer, brigade member, nag-apply, dumaan sa proseso, subject to humiliation and embarrassment just to be a Filipino.

So sa paglabas pa lamang po, wala akong nakikita merong ikinukubli. Kung siya po ay may ikinukubli, ay hindi na kailangan dumaan sa ganitong proseso. So palagay ko po itong ating interpellation ngayon at yung pagdadalo niya, baka ito'y pang labindalawa na simula sa umpisa. Kung isasama pa ho yung sa House of Representatives, ay baka pang labing-anim na ho ito, o labing-walo, pati yung dinaanang proseso sa House.

So, the mere fact that you are open enough to subject yourself to public scrutiny and embarrassment, humiliation, is a proof that there is nothing being hidden. At lahat naman po ay dinaanan na na dumaan sa lower house, sa House of Representatives, kung saan nagkaroon din po ng ganito sigurong debate. At ito rin po, anong ako po ang chairman ng Committee on Justice and Human Rights, dumaan din po sa pagtatanong in a public hearing which was streamlined in various social media platforms.

So, wala po ako nakikitang kinukubli na in fact, uulitin ko, pati yung kanyang mga anak na nag-aral dito sa San Juan, sa Immaculate Conception, sa Lasalle, sa Xavier, Xavier, are very open to embrace Filipino citizenship. And they've been staying here ever since. Kung sila man po ay merong kinukubli at ginawang masama, sa palagay ko po ay hindi na dapat sila dumaan sa ganitong proseso. Lalong-lalo na kung ating iisipin na dalawang beses na pong hinear ito sa House. Two Congresses. Yung una, yung 18th Congress, ay nakapasa na rin sa House. Yung 19th Congress, ay umulit-ulit. Ito nga, ito pasok sa Senado. So, wala po ako nakikita, Mr. President, Your Honor, that there is something being hidden akin to bad faith on the part of the applicant.

Alam niyo naman po, Mr. President, kung merong nakatingin lagi sa es, hindi lang sa labas, maging sa submersible drones, ay ako po yun. Hindi ko po palalampasin na magkaroon ng makalusot na merong mag-espiya sa ating bansa.

SRH: Salamat, Mr. President. I will get to one related question about espionage later. Pero sa ngayon, the fact stands na yung facts tungkol sa Avia International Club na lumalabas na importante dahil isang marketing and promotion method siya, etc., ay hindi dinisclose sa komite ng ating aplikante.

Sen. Estrada: May I know what is the nature of business of this Avia Club?

SRH: As far as we know, so it's called Avia International Club. Per our information, it is a subsidiary of the Yatai Spa, and it caters to an exclusively Chinese clientele, Mr. President. Avia Leisure Club, Mr. President.

Sen. Estrada: Do they have the necessary mayor's permit?

SRH: Ang listed po na primary purpose niya sa kanyang business papers, Mr. President, itong Avia International Club, Inc., is to establish, operate, and maintain restaurants, coffee shops, refreshment parlors, cocktail lounges, KTV, disco, and cater foods, Mr. President.

Sen. Estrada: So I think that is legal. Do they have the necessary mayor's permit and everything?

SRH: We'll look into that, Mr. President. So again, if they're so regular, bakit hindi dinisclose sa ating komite in this important process of considering the application?

Sen. Estrada: So you mean to say this nominee is the owner of that particular club?

SRH: He is one of the incorporators, Mr. President. So, dako na po ako, Mr. President.

Sen. Tolentino: Yung Avia po ay KTV. Karaoke. Karaoke. Yung KTV. So, KTV siguro. Ito yung nage-entertain ng mga junket nga. So, mag-iinuman doon. KTV. I don't think KTV is...

Sen. Estrada: So, exclusively for foreign nationals, especially Chinese?

Sen. Tolentino: Yung mga high rollers.

Sen. Estrada: Yes. No Filipinos allowed?

Sen. Tolentino: Kayo po nagsabi nung kanina, usually...

Sen. Estrada: Nasa junket yun. Junket. I'm talking about the junket.

Sen. Tolentino: Yes, oo.

Sen. Estrada: No Filipino players are allowed to play.

Sen. Tolentino: I don't think KTV, kahit saan akong probinsya nag-iikot ngayon, nakakakita ako ng KTV ho eh. So, hindi ho...

Sen. Estrada:So It's open to everybody?

Sen. Tolentino: Pero, syempre, kung ikaw ay hindi high roller, may hiya ka naman pumunta roon. Di ba magkakas...

Sen. Estrada: Is it open to ordinary Filipinos?

Sen. Tolentino: Yes, yes. I was informed, yes. Kasi nga, ulitin ko ulit. Yung building na yun ay building na hindi naman decrepit o patagotagong building. Building po yun ni Mr. Andrew Tan.

At nandun nga yung Lawson, BDO, RCBC. Reputable po yun. Nauna si Avia. Nandun. Tapos yung nagtayo yung isang binabanggit kanina. Sa pagitan po ay merong parking lot.

So, open lahat po yun. Nadadaanan natin yun. Pag tayo pupunta sa airport, malapit sa Terminal 3. Hanggang ngayon, nag-ooperate po yung building. Kasi may mga bangko nga nandun. So, hindi po ito katulad ng mga building na ni-raid sa kung saan saan. May McDonald's nga ako eh. Di ba? May Lawson.

SRH: Mr. President, if I may continue, we have contrary information that Avia International Club or Leisure Club is not open to Filipinos. So I will leave that at this point kasi dako naman po tayo, Mr. President, sa Powergate Infinity Holdings.

We know that in the 2019 GIS of the company, and Mr. Wang was listed as director, 2019 GIS ng Powergate Infinity Holdings, kung saan listed bilang director si Mr. Wang. [slide 4 ] Bagamat wala na siya sa 2021 GIS.

Sure din po tayo dito dahil ang TIN, kanina pinag-uusapan namin ng good sponsor yung Taxpayers Identification Number, na sinubmit ni Mr. Wang sa Senate ay match po sa TIN at address na sinubmit niya sa Powergate. So yung unang tanong ko po, Mr. President, tungkol sa Powergate, is this company a security company, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: My understanding of Powergate Infinity Holdings is that this is an international listed company under code 1009 known as an International Entertainment Corporation which is primarily based in Hong Kong.

So, talagang ang gusto nila ay mag-operate din ng casino dito sa old casino Hyatt hotel in Malate. So, yung mga high rollers, yung mga incorporators, ay gustong magtayo dito. Subalit, noong nagdesisyon na ilipat ang operation sa Cebu, siya ay nag-withdraw na at hindi sumali as can be gleaned from a new GIS which was issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission last February 22, 2023.

And again, I reiterate that operating a casino is not illegal per se. ng kanilang korporasyon. Yung korporasyon ito, ay merong mga Pilipino, merong Taiwanese, siguro sila yung nagkapital. And for the information of the good, Your Honor, I can provide you a copy of the latest Securities and Exchange Commission documents.

If I may ask the page to provide the good, Your Honor, a copy of this.

SRH: Thank you, good sponsor. So, Powergate is not a security company, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: It is not, definitely. It is not engaged in securities transaction.

SRH: No, Mr. President, not securities or financial transactions. Pero ang Powergate hindi po siya security company. Hindi po siya nagbibigay ng security services.

Sen. Tolentino: No, no, Mr. President. I was informed it is not.

SRH: Alright. Kaya ko po tinatanong, Mr. President, it seems that a representative of this company, of Powergate, was identified as an accomplice in a kidnapping case involving a Chinese national in NAIA back in November 2022.

And interestingly enough, two of those arrested are former reservists and uniformed personnel. One of them was even identified as a customer service representative of Powergate, and ito po yung naging article sa kidnapping. [slide 5]

Sen. Tolentino: I was just informed, as her honor would know from the perusal of the document I just showed and provided her, that the applicant has no connection now whatsoever, even during that date when that alleged kidnapping transpired.

I really believe that in this instance, we have to highlight the importance of several Supreme Court decisions here, there can be no guilt by association.

Kung nangyari po ito, hindi na siya miyembro, hindi naman po lahat ng, kung sino man itong mga, o gaya po niya, Philippine Army Reservist. Ay ako po, General ng Philippine Army Reserve. Marami po member ng Philippine Army Reserve. Hindi naman po ko involved dito sa ginawa nitong taong ito.

So, we are always guided by the principle that a person acts on good faith and a man's own acts are binding upon himself and not third party or third person, Mr. President. So wala pong connection ito sa applicant natin kung yung dating korporasyon na siya ay naging kaanib ay merong tiwali na empleyado, ay palagay ko hindi naman ibig sabihin na dati siyang associated doon na hindi na siya kasali ngayon, would be reflective of his guilt likewise. There is no conspiracy, there is no attempt whatsoever to be involved in this kidnapping. So, maari po siguro may ginawa itong mga ito, pero that cannot be attributed to him.

And then again, Mr. President, your committee was guided by an NBI clearance certifying that he has no pending case and I have here the copy of the NBI clearance signed by the newly designated, appointed NBI Director Judge Jaime Santiago. We have a National Police Commission clearance signed by General Bacay. And we have not only that, we have a Bureau of Immigration certification that he is not listed in a blacklist or immigration lookout.

We have a, this is confidential, but I'm willing to share this with your honor. We have a PNP Directorate for Intelligence clearance. We have a top secret clearance likewise from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, which I cannot share on the screen, but I'll show this to the, uh, her honor. And we have a Department of Foreign Affairs clearance as well, na wala pong naging kaso or involvement whatsoever sa, sa kriminalidad. So, handa po akong ipakita po ito sa, sa inyo, your honor. Ipapabot ko sa page at hihilingin ko ulit na masoli din sa akin.

SRH: Of course, Mr. President.

Sen. Tolentino: Top secret po itong iba. Yes, Mr. President. With the indulgence...

Sen. Ejercito: Yes, thank you, Mr. President. With the indulgence of our Deputy Minority Leader. When I saw Mark Ong here a few months ago, I recognized him because he's also a co-parent. His sons are studying in Xavier School and ICA.

And likewise, I did my own research. I asked also Usec Gilbert Cruz of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force if Mark Ong has any records. But as far as they are concerned, he is not involved in POGO, but only from what they know, yung po binanggit kanina ng majority leader, talagang sa junket operations. And he has no other criminal records in the task force. Just for the information of everybody. Thank you.

SRH: Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to make of record, and I hardly need to reassure the good sponsor that Mr. Wang is not on trial. Ang topic lang po talaga pero napakahalaga ay yung pribilehiyo yung gawing Pilipino. So any question that we have about his associations and even past associations, importanteng ma-put on record. Lalo na, halimbawa, yung isang importanteng bagay sa junket, hindi niya nasabi sa komite.

So at least here in the plenary debate, we can make a record, for example, na yung isang kumpanya na dati siyang director ay lumabas sa balita in relation to a serious kidnapping case.

But my office also looked, Mr. President, at the succeeding directors of Powergate. Ito po, ifa-flash din po namin. And we were, yung succeeding pa po yata, and we were surprised at what we saw. One of the succeeding directors is one Charlie Tan, [slide 6] accused of smuggling and bribery, and believed to be a member of the so-called Davao Group.

[slide 7] May article po kami dun kay Mr. Tan. So, doesn't this raise red flags? Again, Mr. President, we're not saying he's guilty, but don't all these red flags raise warnings in our head about this person, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: Mr. President, if we can flash again on the screen the names, Mr. President. So, you'll notice, Mr. President, that during this time, period of time of the corporate existence, our applicant is no longer a member.

He is no longer a member of the power gate. So makikita natin na kung sino man ang pumalit sa kanya, tanggapin ang power gate bilang director o kung ano man, does not reflect on the character or integrity of the said person. I think I was the one who provided the, I likewise provided the, her honor, a copy of the, wala kaya pala wala na yung kopya ko rito, binigay ko po sa inyo. Your honor. So wala po siya dyan.

2021 po, wala na po siya sa Powergate. Hindi na siya involved dyan kasi nga, yung mga kausap niya, usapan ay tutulong siya dito lang sa Maynila, lumipat bigla ng Cebu operations. Kaya siguro hindi na siya kasali dito. So kung sino man yung pumalit sa kanya, I think he cannot be accused of fraternally associating with whomsoever are members now of the corporation.

Again, I reiterate, there can be no guilt by association. A man's own acts are binding only upon himself. Hindi po pwedeng i-implicate yung isang tao sa isang gawain na hindi naman siya kasali o kaya hindi niya ginawa. Yan po ay napakaliwanag sa De Doro versus Vinoya, at napakarami na hong na-decision ng kaso ng ating kataas-taasang hukuman.

So kung ito po ay magpapalit ulit ng mga board of directors next year or two years from now na talagang mga masasamang tao, ay palagay ko po ang may pagkukulang na dito ay yung korporasyon na hindi nila pinili yung kanilang director na tama o baka may pagkukulang din ng Securities and Exchange Commission na hindi nasala kung sino man yung mga nalalagay po dyan.

At kagaya po nung lumalabas ngayong balita sa SSS, hindi pala SSS yun, mali ata ako, baka sa ibang bansa yun. Maraming patay na binigyan ng mga pensyon. So hindi rin nasala. So it is going to be imputed on the part of the applicant themselves

Sen. Estrada: Senator Risa, what is the nature of business of Gateway?

SRH: This is Powergate, Infinity Holdings, Mr. President. We're checking further, Mr. President.

And again, to reiterate, Mr. President, kanina po, may make of record ko na Mr. Wang is not on trial. So, hindi rin po itong tungkol sa guilt. Ito po ay tungkol sa desirability of granting, yung hinihinging, pribiliheyo ng Filipino citizenship sa aplikante.

And may also make of record, Mr. President, that one of the documents shared by the good sponsor himself with this representation contains matters regarding Mr. Wang in relation to the matter of underground banking, particularly underground cryptocurrency trading.

And as for fraternal association, I will ask a related question about fraternal association with another person who has caused concern to the Senate sa mga nakaraang investigasyon natin, Mr. President.

Sen. Tolentino: If I may quickly react, the person referred to by her honor is not the same Wng Liduan applicant. Iba po yun, may kapangalan siya na tigilaguna na 37 years old na call center agent na nahuli sa Laguna for scamming.

So hindi po siya, hindi po 37 years old itong applicant natin, baka 37 na yung anak niya. So hindi po siya yun, may certification po doon ng ibang tao po yun, kapangalan lang. At yung tanong naman po ng ating Senate President Pro Temp, yung Powergate Infinity, ang pakay pala nito ay mag-manage ng casino. Na hindi naman po bawal, kasi legal po ang casino. Hindi lang natuloy sa Maynila, kaya umalis na siya, sa Cebu na raw nag-operate. Kung saan sa Cebu, ay hindi ko na po alam.

Sen. Estrada: Ino-operate ang casino?

Sen. Tolentino: Nag-mamanage. Junket na naman. Hindi ko po alam. Management of casino can involve a lot of things.

SRH: Thank you, Mr. President. If I can move on to another question.

Sen. Tolentino: Not junket. And then, sana po napaliwanag. Ibang tao po yung binabanggit kanina. Yung lead one ay bata po yun na na merong ACR, merong working visa ng BID na na-cancel na po at talagang na-involve sa online scam. Ibang po ang tao yun. Kapangalan.

SRH: We, the good sponsor, and I will have to agree to disagree on that, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. President. Dahil bagamat may lumalabas sa mga searches ng iba't ibang Filipino name, pero iisa lamang po yung alam kong Wang Liduan na pinag-uusapan natin.

So if I could move on to another question, Mr. President. Is Mr. Wang connected with a company operating with the name 9 Dynasty, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: No, Mr. President.

SRH: He's not. I ask this, Mr. President, because 9 Dynasty is a mysterious underground cryptocurrency service targeted to be one of the largest, if not the largest, in Asia. So, bakit po yung pangalan po ni Mr. Wang listed as the identified representative and junket operator of 9 Dynasty, Mr. President? [slide 8]

Sen. Tolentino: Ang nangyayari po, Mr. President, nagdadala lang siya ng player. Yun po yung kanyang naging role doon, pero hindi siya ang may-ari ng itong 9 Dynasty, Mr. President.

SRH: So, nagdadala po siya ng player. So, hindi naman po at saka hindi po mutually exclusive sa pagiging identified representative at junket operator ng 9 Dynasty, Mr. President. I'm showing a photo here, Mr. President. Can the good sponsor confirm if this is indeed Liduan Wang in the ribbon cutting ceremonies of 9 Dynasty? [slide9] Siya po ba ito, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: Yes, yes. In the middle. Because he is a VVIP player who brings here VVIP category players. Ang sabi po sa akin, pag ikaw daw po ay nagdala ng player, meron ka komisyon sa hotel, sa mga restaurants, sa junket operations. Doon meron ka siyang kinikita doon. Kaya ginawa siyang guest of honor dito dahil siya yung pinagtiwalaan ng ilang players.

SRH: Yes, Mr. President. So, nagdadala po siya ng VIP players from which he earns a commission. At dito sa photo na ito, sabi ng good sponsor sila yung guest of honor.

Sen. Tolentino: Isa sa mga guest kasi maraming tigil gupit.

SRH: Yes, one of the guests of honor.

Sen. Tolentino: Maraming ribbon, maraming bulaklak.

SRH: And can the good sponsor identify the person to the right of Mr. Wang in this photo?

Sen. Tolentino: Wala po akong kilala dito, Your Honor.

SRH: Hindi po ba yan si Mr. Duanren Wu?

Sen. Tolentino: Hindi po po kilala.

SRH: And I'll flash a photo po of Mr. Wu.

Sen. Tolentino: Wala po akong kilala dyan. Opo, wala akong nare-recognize dyan, Your Honor. Ngayon ko lang nakita yung litratong yan.

SRH: Kung gayon, Mr. President, good sponsor, I think meron din akong photo dyan ni Mr. Duanren Wu. At para po sa kabatiran o pagpapaalala sa lahat, si Duanren Wu po ang Big Boss ng Porac POGO, kinikilala pong ninong ni Cassandra Li Ong at wanted fugitive sa China. So, does it inspire confidence in us that the applicant is an associate of a wanted fugitive, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: Mr. President, I was informed that yung nabanggit niyong pangalan, hindi ko na nga ma-recite ulit, ay player po sa isang junket dahil ang casino naman po ay legal sa ngayon sa umiiral na batas. At habang tayo po ay nagsasalita, ang casino po ay bukas pa at napakaraming casino po sa ating bansa. So kung siya man ay nirecognize niya kung sino, ay uulitin ko po na yung sinasabi ko kanina, mere association, most notably through a photograph, cannot be ascribed to a person's guilt.

It cannot be, guilt cannot be inferred solely by association, photographs, or a photo with someone accused of a crime. At tayo naman po lahat eh, ang daming nagpapaselfie. At sa dami na ng litrato, siguro darating ang panahon na yung nagpalitrato sa atin ay baka hindi rin kanais-nais na tao. So will that be an association by guilt likewise? Hindi po.

So dito po sa larawang nandito, hindi ko po ma-judge yan. Siguro merong isang ribbon cutting kung ano man. But ulitin ko po, yung matatagal na at malalim na doktrina na, even mere presence at the scene of the crime, which does not make a person a principal, an accomplice or accessory. There must be clear evidence showing that participation to commit an offense. I don't see any offense yet here, Mr. President, dito sa larawan na nakikita ngayon.

SRH: Again, Mr. President, we are not talking about offense, let alone crime, at hindi po ito trial. Ito po ay pag-re-raise ng mga, hindi lang kakaunti, maraming-maraming reasons for concern about this application. So dito, si Mr. Duanren Wu na nasa photo, sabi nga ng good sponsor, ay player sa junket.

Siya po ba ay isa sa mga VIP players na dinala ni Mr. Wang para maglaro sa Nine Dynasty?

Sen. Tolentino: Hindi ko po alam, Your Honor. Hindi ko rin alam yung binanggit yung pangalan kung sino dyan. Ay. Parang magkakamukha na lahat sila.

SRH: Hindi naman po, Mr. President. At I give the good sponsor more credit dahil isa po sila sa dumalo sa ating mga pagdinig tungkol sa POGO at naging famous or infamous yung pangalan ni Duan Ren Wu.

And speaking of actions that are or can be attributable to Mr. Wang. Isang bagay na klarong ginawa ni Mr. Wang ay itago ang ilang piling business interests niya. At sa ganitong mga susunod ko pang mga tanong at itong tanong, nagmumukhang may rason, Mr. President.

Ito po kasing yung Avia International Club also provides junkets for Nine Dynasty.Tama ba, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: Maari po. Tama po yan. Pero ulitin ko po na hindi naman siya actively involved doon sa nabanggit nyo na operations ng Avia. Kita nyo po itong pinapakita nyo, Solaire Resort and Casino. Yan po is a legal, very legal establishment. Nandiyan po sa taas. So wala pong mali dyan. Marami pong hanggang ngayon. May bago pang bukas na Solaire ata sa Quezon City sa north. There is nothing illegal in going to a casino, Mr. President.

SRH: But Mr. President, ito po ay listahan ng 9 Dynasty na mga junket operators niya.

Sen. Tolentino: Which is also legal, Mr. President. At naka-lista. Nagdadala ng mga customer sa hotel, sa casino. Casino is a legal business operation. Tayo po ay minsan naimbitahan din.

Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, yung huling punta ko sa casino, yung Metro Manila Film Festival, legal naman po yung casino. Mausok nga lang. Mausok, Mr. President. Kaya, I don't see anything wrong with a casino.

It is legal. It is legal. It is allowed by law. Its operation is regulated by Pagcor under PD 1869 as amended by Republic Act 9487 and our government continues to receive a critical amount to finance some of our big public hospitals including sports and a lot of other things, Mr. President.

SRH: All the more reason, Mr. President, nakapagtataka na if all of this is legal anyway, if all of this is beneficial anyway sa Pilipinas, kung bakit hindi binanggit ni Mr. Wang sa komite. Yun po yung isang pinagtataka ko. Because I'm not saying it's illegal, I'm saying he concealed this from the committee, Mr. President.

Sen. Tolentino: Ang sagot po doon, Mr. President, during that time, hindi naman siya member na nung Avia, Avia, o nung PRIME, nung PRIME, hindi na siya kasalido. Nung nag-hearing, 2021 po siya, wala na siyang involvement sa PRIME.

E ngayon, nung nag-hearing, Powergate ba? Powergate, sorry, Powergate. So ngayon, 2020, nag-hearing ata ay 2024. So wala na talaga siya, kahit noong 18th Congress, hindi na rin siya.

SRH: Pero hindi rin po siya, Mr. President, nag-disclose ng links niya sa Avia at sa 9 Dynasty, which is identified bilang isa sa mga nag-avail of ng junket operation services ng mga tulad ng Avia International Club. So kung lahat nito ay maayos, bakit hindi in-disclose?

Sen. Tolentino: We were guided by the checklist of the committee. Hindi naman nakalagay doon na na-involve ka ba sa junket. Hindi naman nakalagay doon na ikaw ba'y nagcacasino. So ang presumption po dito, Mr. President, your committee worked hard to engage the services required of a person applying for a legislative naturalization decree. So lahat po yun ay natupad naman po as of the date na naghearing po yung ating committee.

SRH: Yes, Mr. President. So has the committee been made aware of the nature of activities of Mr. Wang? Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: Opo, yung lumabas po sa committee ay yung sila ay nagsimula nung merong palayan sa Isabela, gawaan ng chinelas, at nagkaroon ng negosyo na umunlad naman sa pagpatayo ng mga gusali na ginagamitbilang lagayan ng palay. Yan po yung mga, sa naalala ko. Matagal-tagal na kasi yun, Mr. President.

SRH: But again, wala kasi kung nakita, dahil hindi niya ibinigay sa komite, mga impormasyon tungkol sa POGO o gambling o cryptocurrency. And I hope na at least na-appreciate natin na itong impormasyon lumalabas na ngayon kesa later, Mr. President.

Sen. Tolentino: Hindi po siya na-involve sa POGO. And during the hearings, Mr. President, yung POGO po, kung ito man ay illegal ngayon, yung Pogo naman po during those days, legal pa yun. May mga legal pang POGO. Hindi rin po na buksan yung cryptocurrency kasi wala naman po sa record show, wala sa checklist na alam niyo po, Mr. President, pwede kong bagitin ngayon, 25 executive orders will be issued day after tomorrow by President Trump. And one of the executive orders would involve institutionalization of cryptocurrency in the United States.

And that would have a big effect, not just in the United States, but in the world's economy. So lahat po ito, malelegalize na. Mr. President, you will see this unfold two days from now. So cryptocurrency per se is not bad. Bitcoin is not bad. Ethereum is not bad. So two days from now, lalabas po lahat yung executive order. 25 yun. Pero binanggit ko lang po yun kasi we're jumping the gun. Cryptocurrency is not bad. Hindi casino operations, gambling, casino, is not also illegal. Di ba? So I don't see anything, any reason to disclose something which is not being asked of and something which is not illegal when the hearing was conducted.

And that includes, perhaps, I'm not defending this, you have mentioned this, I have joined you in the various committee reports, and records will show, even if you look at existing legislative records, I was not one of the signatories when the POGO legalization law was signed. Hindi po ako nakapirma doon, Mr. President. Kaya, kakampi ako rito. Kaya, itong POGO, hindi ito pinag-usapan kasi nung panahon yun, legal pa ito a mata ng batas. Itong casino, hanggang ngayon, legal pa ito. At itong nabanggit niyong cryptocurrency, 48 hours pa ho siguro. Makikita niyo po yung legalization ito sa ibang jurisdiction which will have an impact in our jurisdiction likewise.

SRH: And again, Mr. President, nadadagdagan tuloy yung listahan ng mga bagay na dati ay hindi pa illegal or hanggang ngayon ay legal pero kung bakit hindi dinisclose ng ating aplikante sa komite ay nagbibigay ng impression talaga na hindi completely forthright.

So kanina po napag-uusapan natin, napag-uusapan natin kanina Mr. President ang espionage.

So Mr. President, do you think it should disqualify an applicant from Filipino citizenship if he is a member of a group that could possibly be involved in malign foreign influence, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: Siguro po. Siguro po. Hindi po dapat siya maging Pilipino kung siya ay isang espiya. Opo, Mr. President. Kakampi niyo po ako dyan. At kung matatandaan niyo, Mr. President, ako pa huling nagpalipat nung hearing ni Alice Guo sa tamang husgado. Kung hindi po, nadismisa na yun. Nakalagay, pinipilit na hearing sa Tarlac. Kung hindi tayo nag-hearing po nun, di naman sa pagbubuhat ng sariling bangko, ay na, dismissed po yun.

So pinalipat natin sa Valenzuela RTC, nag-assume ng concurrent jurisdiction ng Pasig, ngayon po ay malapit ng sentensyahan siguro.

SRH: Salamat Mr. President.

Sen. Tolentino: Kasama niyo po ako sa ganyan layunin, ha Mr. President.

SRH: Dahil ganun nga po, Mr. President, good sponsor, we retrieved information from a Chinese website that Mr. Wang was inducted as the new chairman of the Philippine Jinjiang Yuxi Association. [slide 10]

This association is connected to the network of hometown associations established in the Philippines. He is seen in this photo, third from left, in the first row. Ito po yung fina-flash po namin, Mr. President. He can also be seen in the third row, first photo from the left, being handed over a seal by former Chairperson Wang Hong Lao.

This organization, Mr. President, is part of the united front work of the Communist Party of China. And take note po, 2023 ang balita pong ito, kaya bagong-bago pa lang siya chairperson. So I have to question where Mr. Wang loyalties would lie if we grant him Filipino citizenship by the Philippine Senate, Mr. President.

Sen. Tolentino: Mr. President, I was informed that although perhaps the picture might be accurate, that he has no association with the Communist Party of China or even if there is a Communist Party of the Philippines right now. And during the hearings, Mr. President, under oath, he reaffirmed and up to this date continues to reaffirm his love for the Philippines.

Similar to the other applicants which this chamber, whose applications approved. Nung isang araw lang kaharap ko yung si Kulas, si Kulas, marunong na mag-Tagalog. So wala pong, ang dami po kasing mga association. Pag nagpunta kayo sa Binondo, nung ako ano-ano, association, association of, lahat siguro ng mga magkaka-apelido na hindi ko naman naintindihan yan, ay association po yung tawag sa kanila.

Pero again, Mr. President, we stand by the weight of the evidence presented during the committee hearings that he is not in any way part of the Communist Party of China.

SRH: But Mr. President, he is the new chair of the Philippine Jinjiang Yuxi Association.

Sen. Tolentino: Mr. President. It's not true He's not the chairman whatever Jinjiang is.

SRH: But is he a member of the Philippine Jinjiang Yuxi Association?

Sen. Tolentino: Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, which I think is a reputable and It's a Filipino organization, Mr. President, The Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, he's a vice chairman. And it's an association of Filipino and Chinese business groups.

SRH: And it's a Filipino organization, Mr. Chair.

Sen. Tolentino: Ang presidente po yun, ang alam ko, yung gumawa ng Happy Toothpaste, yung si Pedro, si Cecilio de Pedro, minsan pinadadalaan ako nun ng Happy Toothpaste, sabi ko gumagamit ako, Colgate. So, reputable organization po ito. Sila po yung may mga may mga mga fire ano to? Fire fire brigades sa Iloilo, sa Bacolod, sa Naga, sa sa Binondo. So kaya pala siguro siya ay fire brigade din. Volunteer din siya ng Fire Brigade sa Ermita. Siya ay bumbero din sa Ermita. So yun po yung mga ganitong asosasyon sa pagkakaalam ko, Mr. President.

SRH: I'm definitely not worried, Mr. President, about the PCCI. Ay, dahil ako nga yung nagsabi kanina, it's a Filipino organization. Pero sa presensya ni Mr. Wang sa photos na ito, kung hindi siya chair, bagong chair, kung hindi siya member, bakit siya nasa members photos ng Philippine Jinjang UC Association? Just before I go to my last question, Mr. President.

Sen. Tolentino:Pasensya na po, Mr. President, kumupo ng kaunti kasi nangangalay na rin po ako. Natatawa si General kanina. Nakaupo lang siya eh. Hindi ko po masagot, Mr. President, kung ano yun, Jiang Jin? Jin Jiang, Yuxi Association, Mr. President. Kasi napakarami talaga. Pagka'y pumunta ng Chinatown, kung ano yung mga asosyasyon, Kung Fu, Wushu, kung ano yung mga.

SRH: No, Mr. President, this is not a sports association. No, no, no. Hindi siya martial arts organization.

Sen. Tolentino: Ibig sabihin kung may mga pangalan na muna Association po siya.Nagikita doon kasi napunta rin po ako sa Divisoria. Ang dami mga pangalan. Parang ang lumalabas dito, correct me if I'm wrong, yung mga magkakamag-anak nagpo-form ng association. Saan ba ako nakakita nito? Pag yung Lunar Chinese New Year, meron sila mga dragon dance, tapos yung mga association na nakalagay dun sa harapan. Yun lang po yung pagkakaalam ko dyan. Hometown association po siya. Mr. President.

SRH: So hometown association po ito and per our information, itong Philippine Jinjang Yuxi Association is part of the united front work of the Communist Party of China.

So panghuling tanong na lamang po, Mr. President.

Sen. Tolentino: Mr. President, for the information of her honor, yung Jinjang ha, very active sa Negros Occidental. Nag-launch sila ng Philippine Jingjiang Association Negros Occidental Chapter. O sina Governor Lacson sa Bacolod, sa Acacia Hotel. So very active po ito sa, hindi ko lang kaya i-pronounce yung name, pero kilala ko po yung mga mayors dito. So lahat po sila, very active po itong ganitong association. Tama po kayo, Mr. President. Jingjiang ay baka yung bayan nila, roots nila sa kung saan man, sa China.

SRH: Panghuli po na tanong, is it possible for one person, even a foreigner, to have more than one taxpayer identification number, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: Siguro po, Mr. President, it is it is indeed possible for a person to have more than one, but it is not allowed. It is not allowed. There are two, from my understanding, long, long time ago, there are two lookouts here.

One is the acquisition of a second PIN by virtue of a desire to deceive or defraud the government or our tax authorities. Kung ganun po ang plano, ay yun po ay talagang masama yung intensyon. Minsan naman po, yung pagkuhan ng tin ay dulot ng pagkakamali o hindi sinasadya.

Halimbawa, pag nawala yung TIN, kumuha alin ng iba. Pero meron po tayong legal framework sa issuance ng TIN. The law is explicit na just one TIN per individual or entity. Subalit, kung nakadalawa kang TIN o marami kang TIN, merong administrative sanction. Babayad ka ng 1,000 pesos to 50,000 at pag ikaw naman nahihinablan ng BIR, 50,000. Pero kung yun ay ginagamit mo for purposes of tax evasion. So ngayon po, ang BIR ay bukod sa administrative and criminal penalties, ay nagbibigay din, kumukuha rin ng civil liabilities.

Halimbawa po sinadya mo, misrepresentation, to defraud the government. So i-assess ka ng 25% surcharge. May mga memorandum circular po dito ang BIR, Mr. President.

SRH: Thank you, Mr. President. Tignan niyo po ito. [slide11] These documents were both submitted to the committee. His TIN in his BIR ID is different from his TIN in One Care. At uulitin ko po, both these documents were submitted to the committee. May paliwanag po ba para dito, Mr. President?

Sen. Tolentino: Apparently, Mr. President, the real team is the 272. Ano ba yung 272? 272, itong ito po, nasa taas, yung picture po. 272, 704, 09 2, 000. Yung po yung ginagamit niya sa pagbabayad ng buwis. Yung isa po, kagaya po nung nabanggit ko kanina, ay yung po yung ginawa doon po sa pamamagitan ng kanyang accountant noong ano ba itong tinayo, isang foundation na One Care Foundation, it is a civic organization. It's an NGO, Mr. President, na NGO Charitable Foundation, na yun din kanyang, inabanggit ko kaninang accountant po, na nag-fill up na lang, pirma na lang.

So, hindi po ito tinatanggi, Mr. President, na yung nakakuha ng isang number uli. Subalit, this was fully disclosed, Mr. President, at ito po ay doon sa isang foundation. Wala naman pong motive to defraud the government to commit an intentional crime to deceive the government.

So, Mr. President, so what the what the person did, this was apparently the first one. Correct me, Mr. President. I stand corrected. The first one was secured when he was still in Isabela. Kinancel na po yun ng BIR. So, ang talagang ginagamit niya ngayon ay itong 272. Kasi meron pong larawan dito, Mr. President, ay batang-bata pa siya. Baka high school lang ito,o college, Mr. President. So, Mr. President, kung meron pong pagkakamali dito, ang BIR na po ang nag-memete ng sanction, administrative, yung P1,000 administrative fine or yung criminal penalty, ihahabla siya under section 258 of the National Internal Revenue Code.

Subalit, ito po ay hindi sinadya para i-de-fraud, mag-evade ng taxes ang applicant sa yugtong ito, Mr. President. At yung isa po ay na-cancel na, Mr. President. Yung pinapakita niyo sa larawan sa baba. Salamat, Mr. President, yung pinapakita nyo sa larawan, sa baba.

SRH: Salamat, Mr. President. My staff also took the initiative to check if one of these tins is like those one-time tins for foreigners. But ang one-time tin daw ay for single transactions only.

And these are both not given for the purpose of incorporation.

Mr. President, we also sought to verify these TIN numbers. at gaya ng nabanggit ng good sponsor, the TIN that was used for One Care, 436-294-44000, ay tagged as cancelled. Pero meron pa rin isa pang TIN, yung TIN na ginamit sa Avia Leisure, 486-030-244, under the name of Marco Ong, is associated with a completely different name, Mr. President.

And again, these two completely different numbers are different from the one in his BIR ID na sinabi na rin ng good sponsor ay 272-704-092-000, Mr. President. So, for the record also, Mr. President. So, by way of ending, I wish to say, hindi lang po ito tungkol kay Mr. Wang, but I really am shocked that this person was able to advance so far in the naturalization process despite all the red flags in his background.

Hindi po ito pamimeke lang ng birth certificate in a small local civil registrar in a far-flung town. This one is right in the halls of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Harap-harapan po. Si Wang Liduan, nagkukunwaring Pilipino sa SEC, tinago ang business interests at contacts kaugnay ng gambling, POGO at junkets at may link sa mga organisasyon na malapit sa Communist Party of China.

Hindi po ako na niniwala na inadvertence lamang ang lahat na ito. At hindi po ako naniniwala na ganung kadali itong i-dismiss. So, Mr. President, good sponsor, I terminate my interpellation. As early as now, I have to say that I cannot in good conscience vote to confer citizenship on this person. Muli, and for one more time, hindi ko po sinasabi na siya ay guilty sa anumang krimen. After all, this is not a court of law.

All I am saying, Mr. President, good sponsor, all I am saying is that there are enough red flags to warrant further scrutiny and to deny Filipino citizenship to this person. Marami salamat po, good sponsor at Mr. President.