NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 27 August) – It’s almost impossible to look into the Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGO) without delving into the role of former President Rodrigo Duterte and Guo Hua Ping, aka Alice Guo.
Duterte approved online gaming or gambling to operate anywhere in the country, claiming it is clean and essential to the economy. Under his open China policy, he allows Chinese nationals to flood into the country sans proper documentation. So Chinese of all persuasion and interests, legitimate investors, gambling and drug lords, crime syndicates, and government spies, happily pursue their trades under the negligent or tolerant watch of Chinese-friendly President Digong Duterte.
Thus came into being Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese deep penetration agent, who became a Philippine government local executive, as a mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, known as Alice Guo.
By the look of it, Alice Guo both serves the official interest of China and the Chinese triad.
Alice Guo became the architect and steward of the POGO of Bamban, which turned out to be a hub of cyber scams, human trafficking, money laundering, forced labor, prostitution, torture, and murder, all of which undermine the security and peace, and tarnish the image of the country.
Among others, Philippine intelligence suggests that POGO hubs serve as eavesdropping posts of China.
It’s a little wonder why Duterte is never invited to the congressional investigations on POGO. Guo wouldn’t have been there in Bamban directly or indirectly without Duterte. Moreover, Duterte risked national security by promoting and allowing the operations of POGO hubs closed to security installations of the country, like the Clark airbase and the Kawit, Cavite naval base.
What he did was a betrayal of national interest. He should be accountable. No one should be above the security of the land.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental.)