Philippine Senate Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros strongly urged the rejection of the citizenship application of Chinese citizen Mark Ong during a hearing, accusing him of being involved with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities and questioning the authenticity of his background.
Suspected Close Relations with POGO Boss
At the hearing, Hontiveros presented evidence showing that Mark Ong had close ties with a well-known figure in the POGO sector, Duanren Wu, who is reportedly a gambling fugitive wanted by Chinese police and the mastermind behind a POGO center in Pampanga's Porac. Hontiveros displayed a photo of Mark Ong with Duanren Wu at the opening ceremony of a casino in Clark, stating, "The relationship between Mark Ong and Duanren Wu cannot be ignored, further confirming his suspected involvement in illegal activities."
Company Background Raises Doubts
Hontiveros also pointed out that Mark Ong is the behind-the-scenes owner of the 9 Dynasty Group, whose management team highly overlaps with a POGO company, Rivendell, located in Pasay. Moreover, Mark Ong did not disclose this information in his citizenship application, raising further doubts. Hontiveros stated, "Why would he conceal this information? Is this an attempt to cover something up?"
Suspected of Falsifying Identity and Tax Violations
More concerningly, Hontiveros mentioned that Mark Ong falsely declared himself as a Filipino citizen in an official document, which directly violates the law. Additionally, Mark Ong has multiple Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TIN), some of which have been canceled or used for different entities, suggesting irregularities or even illegal activities. Hontiveros emphasized, "Having multiple TINs is illegal in the Philippines, further indicating problematic behavior."
Questions Regarding Local Registry Operations
Hontiveros also questioned whether the local registry's handling of Mark Ong's citizenship application was compliant. She expressed shock that someone with such a complex background could advance to the final stage of the citizenship approval process, inevitably raising doubts about potential oversights or irregular operations within the relevant departments.
Citizenship Application Facing Termination
According to Philippine law, only 50 amnesty slots are opened annually for foreign citizens to apply for nationality. Although Mark Ong might have utilized this pathway, due to various suspicions, his application has been shelved by the Senate. Hontiveros clearly stated, "Granting Philippine citizenship to Mark Ong is not only inappropriate but also casts doubt on whether his loyalty can be trusted."
Currently, Mark Ong's citizenship application is at a standstill, and investigations are still ongoing. Hontiveros called for authorities to further strengthen the scrutiny of citizenship applications to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.
