Senators cite need to support NICA, NSC for 2024
DEPUTY Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros appealed to the National Security Council (NSC) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) to look into reports that foreign nationals are able to get legitimate Philippine documents such as identification card and birth certificate through fraudulent means to allegedly get a Philippine passport.
During Monday’s deliberation on November 13, 2023 on the proposed budgets of the NICA and NSC, Hontiveros said that based on the hearing conducted by the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality last November 10 on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) related crimes, it was revealed that POGO employees, particularly Chinese nationals, managed to obtain legitimate documents in the country.
“Maybe the end game of POGO is not just the POGOs themselves but to penetrate our important institutions and undermine our national security, and it seems that POGO operations are not only limited to the national capital region, they have an expansion policy plan in Cebu, Iloilo, and other parts of the country,” Hontiveros said.
The lady senator expressed the belief that these POGO-related incidents have national security implication as she earlier raised the possibility of POGO being used to spy the Philippines.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Koko Pimentel III said it is high time that NICA and NSC should be given the right support by the government in order to preempt moves like terrorism and the WPS issue that the country is facing right now.
Pimentel said since NICA is a recipient of intelligence and confidential funds under the Office of the President, and also handle critical roles in AMLC (Anti Money Laundering Council) and purchase of information that will protect the country from outside forces, he said there is reasonableness to give them proper budget that will help the current leadership citing their critical role.
