Senator Risa Hontiveros sounded the alarm after businessman Joseph Sy, allegedly a Chinese national posing as Filipino, was discovered to have joined the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA).
Sy, chair of Global Ferronickel Holdings, was detained by the Bureau of Immigration for allegedly using fake Philippine documents.
Hontiveros likened him to “Alice Guo Part 2,” warning that despite the PCGA being voluntary and non-government, Sy still gained access to events and people linked to national security.
Sources said Sy entered the PCGA in 2018 and even received an honorary rank under the previous administration.
“Kapag nalulusutan ang ating mga institusyon at papeles, nalulusutan rin ang ating soberanya,” the senator said.
She also revealed Sy’s company partnered with Chinese state-owned Baiyin Nonferrous Group during Duterte’s 2016 state visit to China, involving mining in Palawan, a strategic site in the West Philippine Sea dispute.
Hontiveros urged a Senate probe into Sy’s identity, affiliations, and network.
“Ano kaya ang totoong agenda nitong si Josephy Sy? Is he simply conducting business in Palawan, or is there more to his operations than meets the eye?” she asked.IMT
