The Philippine Senate approved the citizenship of Li Duan Wang, a Chinese national, despite Senator Risa Hontiveros's objections due to alleged links to a raided POGO hub and other suspicious connections.
The Philippine Senate on Monday approved House Bill No. 8839 on its final reading, granting Philippine citizenship to Li Duan Wang, a Chinese national. The bill passed with 19 votes in favor and one against, requiring Wang to take an oath of allegiance and receive a certificate of naturalization. Senator Risa Hontiveros cast the lone dissenting vote, raising concerns about Wang's alleged connections to a raided POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator) hub in Porac, Pampanga.
Hontiveros expressed her reservations, stating, 'Haven't we learned from the deception of Guo Hua Ping, alias Alice Guo, or Yang Jianxin, alias Tony Yang? Haven't we been affected by abusive foreigners posing as Filipinos to profit from our people and tarnish our systems? Are we willing to take a chance again on someone who has hidden their questionable connections in Congress?' She highlighted 'red flags' regarding Wang's alleged involvement as a junket operator and his ties to Duanren Wu, described as the 'big boss' of the raided POGO hub.Furthermore, Hontiveros pointed out that Wang had a business in the same building as the firm linked to confessed Chinese spy She Zhijiang, as featured in an Al Jazeera documentary. She also mentioned Wang's alleged association with the Jinjiang Yuxi Association, believed to be part of the Communist Party of China's united front work, and his use of false identification as Filipino in the Securities and Exchange Commission. While Hontiveros clarified that she did not deem Wang guilty of any crime, she argued that these 'red flags' warranted a thorough investigation before granting him Philippine citizenship. GMA News Online has reached out to Senate President Francis Escudero and Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino for comment. Efforts are also underway to obtain Wang's side of the story, which will be published upon availability
PHILIPPINE SENATE CITIZENSHIP CHINESE NATIONAL POGO HUB RIS HON TIVEROS RED FLAGS ALLEGED CONNECTIONS
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