ASEANEWS Headline | MANILA: Who is Liduan Wang, the Chinese national approved for Filipino citizenship?
Chinese citizen Liduan Wang attends a hearing in the Senate as he applies for Filipino citizenship.
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MANILA, Philippines — Following a year full of controversial probes and allegations of Chinese espionage in the Philippines, the Senate has approved the citizenship of Liduan Wang, a Chinese native with alleged ties to Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) players.
Wang, originally from Fujian, China, has been residing in the Philippines since 1991.
In 2023, a bill seeking his naturalization was filed by Rep. Joey Salceda (Albay, Second District) and Rep. Juliet Ferrer (Negros Occidental, Fourth District), and it was approved that same year.
The measure was carried over to the Senate and was sponsored by Sen. Francis Tolentino in 2024.
Memento Maxima Digital MarketingHowever, several “red flags” were raised regarding Wang’s naturalization, particularly due to the controversy surrounding POGOs, which have attracted an influx of foreign workers, mostly from China. Many of these workers have since been categorized by the government as victims of human trafficking.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who led the Senate investigations into POGOs in 2024, protested Wang’s naturalization, citing concerns over his past actions.
Hontiveros said that Wang had failed to disclose his role as an operator of the 9 Dynasty junket group, which shared officers with the illegal POGO hub Rivendell in Pasay.
The senator also said that Wang, who had presented himself as “Mark Ong,” listed himself as Filipino in the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Avia International Club—an alleged karaoke joint catering only to Chinese nationals.
“You cannot be a Filipino citizen while applying to be one. Both facts cannot be true at the same time. This clear lie already suggests bad faith on the part of the applicant,” Hontiveros said.
Wang also allegedly had multiple Tax Identification Numbers (TINs), which Hontiveros presented during the Senate hearing.
The opposition senator also raised concerns over Wang’s affiliation with the Philippine Jinjiang Yuxi Association, rumored to be linked to the United Front work of the Communist Party of China.
During deliberations, Hontiveros pointed to a photograph of Wang with Duanren Wu, the alleged mastermind behind a POGO operation in Porac, Pampanga. Wu is also reportedly the godfather of Cassandra Li Ong, who faces human trafficking charges.
“I question where Mr. Wang’s loyalties would be, if he is granted Filipino citizenship by the Philippine Senate,” Hontiveros said.
Tolentino defended Wang’s application, explaining that documents listing Wang as Filipino were prepared by an accountant, not by Wang himself. He also clarified that Wang’s junket operation was legal, licensed by PAGCOR, and that Avia was not exclusive to Chinese nationals.
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Tolentino added that Wang had complied with all the necessary requirements for naturalization and had been transparent in attending congressional hearings on the matter.
“The mere fact that you are open enough to subject yourself to public scrutiny and embarrassment, humiliation, is a proof that there is nothing being hidden,” Tolentino said.
Wang has been vetted by several government agencies, including the National Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Council.
The Senate passed Wang’s naturalization with 19 yes votes and one no vote. Hontiveros was the lone dissenting senator.
Hontiveros has since urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto the measure granting Wang citizenship.
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