Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. appealed to lawmakers on Monday, Sept. 30, to amend the country's espionage law to make it effective even during times of peace.
Teodoro said this in response to questions about the alleged involvement of former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo to espionage activities.
"Sinisiyasat nang mabuti ng ating mga otoridad 'yan ano, ang mga koneksyon at mga, kung sino man ang maaring naging, or ano man ang scope ng activities niya (The authorities are thoroughly investigating that matter, her connections and whoever or whatever the scope of her activities are)," Teodoro said at the sidelines of the "Inaugural Balangay Forum: Safeguarding Philippine Maritime Interest" in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
While it has yet to be proven whether or not Guo is a Chinese spy, Teodoro said that the authorities should not veer away from the primary point: that the mayor was supposedly involved in illegal activities.
"Kung itong tao na ay spy o hindi, hindi 'yun ang mahalaga. Ang mahalaga ngayon, parusahan natin ang espionage sa panahon ng peace kasi ang espionage law sa Pilipinas ay epektibo lamang during times of war. So call to action din, alam na naman ng ating mambabatas na agaran nilang amendahan 'yung espionage law para maparusahan at makakilos ang gobyerno nang tama para sugpuin ito (Whether or not she is a spy, it's not what is important. What matters now is to punish espionage in times of peace because the espionage law in the Philippines is only effectivw during times of war. So this is a call to action, the lawmakers know how to immediately amend the espionage law to punish and allow the government to act and eliminate [espionage])," the defense chief said.
"What is clear is that she is not a Filipino. Secondly, she falsified documents to pretend that she is a Filipino. Thirdly, she was an active co-conspirator to a massive illegal criminal enterprise kung saan nagmula ang lahat ng illegal na activities (where all illegal activities emanated)," he noted.
Commonwealth Act No. 616 punishes espionage and other offenses against the national security in times of war.
Last week, excerpts of a documentary by foreign news outlet Al Jazheera were played during the back-to-back interpellations of Davao Oriental 2nd district Rep. Cheeno Miguel Almario and Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party-list Rep. Margarita "Migs" Nograles during the House quad-comm hearing.
Guo, who senators call Guo Hua Ping, her supposed her real identity, was featured in the documentary in the form of an entry in detained Chinese tycoon She Zhijiang's dossier, alleging that she is a spy.
Guo denied the allegation as well as her supposed involvement in criminal activities tied to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) operations in Bamban. She insisted that she is a Filipino and she loves the Philippines.
Money talks?
Meanwhile, Teodoro also cautioned local officials from being blinded by money, especially those foreign corporations offering huge amounts of investments to gain a foothold into the country.
"We know fiscal constraints amount and ossify sometimes what we need to do. However, we should never trade short-term inflows of cash, cash inflows for a long-term benefit in the future," he said.
"We should also make a call to action to our local officials and other people not to be tempted by spurious offers of cash or other assistance in order for international criminal syndicates and their ilk to have a foothold in this country because it is the easiest way to destroy the moral fabric, economic fabric, and social fabric of this country," he added.