Foreign role in polls eyed after airport bust
The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday has warned against the possibility of foreign interference in Monday’s midterm elections after 11 people, including nine foreign nationals, were arrested at Mactan Cebu International Airport for carrying large amounts of money.
Six Chinese nationals, one Malaysian, one Indonesian, one Kazakh and two Filipinos were taken into custody by authorities on Friday as they were about to board a private plane after they were found in possession of cash amounting to almost half a billion pesos.
“This incident raises serious concerns about potential election-related illegal activities, including vote-buying and money laundering,” the AFP said in a statement.
“The involvement of multiple foreign nationals strongly suggests the alarming possibility of foreign interference in our sovereign electoral process,” it added.
Criminal cases
The suspects, who carried P441.92 million, US$168,730 and HK$1,000 in cash, had claimed upon arrest that the money was part of their winnings from a casino in Cebu.
But police authorities doubted the authenticity of a “casino certification” that was only produced by the group hours after they were arrested.
The Philippine National Police said the suspects violated Resolution No. 11104 by the Commission on Elections which regulates the transportation of large sums of money during an election period.
The PNP had earlier raised suspicions over the personalities arrested as two of the arrested Chinese—Li Fei and Chen Hao—turned out to be respondents in criminal cases pending in the Philippines, while a third Chinese, identified as Wu Song, was the subject of an Interpol notice for fraud.
According to the PNP, the foreigners claimed they were casino players brought into the country by junket operator White Horse Club.
Last week, the PNP identified White Horse Club as one of two such operators whose accounts were used as conduits for the ransom paid by the family of slain Chinese-Filipino businessman Anson Tan, also known as Anson Que.
‘Threat’ to PH democracy
In its statement, however, the AFP said it “laud[ed] the vigilance and rapid response of the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies, whose actions may have averted a significant threat to our democracy.”
“We call on all citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities as we work together to safeguard the peaceful and credible conduct of the upcoming elections,” the AFP said.
Nevertheless, the PNP on Sunday said it has not monitored any serious security threat that could disrupt the elections.
“We have not received any serious security threats that could disrupt the conduct of the election, but we are not complacent. Our intelligence gathering and monitoring will continue, along with other law enforcement agencies, so that no serious threat will take us by surprise,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said in a radio interview.
Last month, President Marcos ordered an investigation into alleged foreign interference in the midterm elections after National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya told a Senate hearing that there were indications of China’s involvement.
The Chinese government and its embassy in Manila denied the allegations.
“China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs,” Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, said. “We have no interest in interfering in Philippine elections.
