Marcos orders probe into alleged Chinese-linked illegal operations in Philippines
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed intelligence and police to investigate foreign-linked wrongdoing, citing a fake-Filipino mayor and shady steel plants.
At a Saturday news forum, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. reported that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered intelligence and police bodies to conduct evidence-based actions against “nefarious” foreign activities in the Philippines. Teodoro pointed to the dismissal of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who allegedly used fake birth papers and maintained connections to Chinese offshore gaming operators and businessman Tony Yang, brother of former adviser Michael Yang.
He also referenced a U.S. mayor allegedly acting for China and warned of a network involving collaborators in Cambodia and a Singapore money-laundering gang. Teodoro cited the rapid rise of a POGO hub in Bamban during the pandemic and the proliferation of substandard steel plants such as Sanjia Steel Corp., whose raid in May led to the arrest of 69 Chinese nationals. He argued these ventures threaten the economy, defense industry, and aim to create dependence on China amid already strained Philippines-China relations.
Why it matters
The probe could expose foreign influence networks that threaten Philippine security and economic independence.
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