Marcos rejects Liduan Wang’s bid for Philippine citizenship
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:33 p.m.) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed the Philippine citizenship bid of Chinese national Liduan Wang, according to the Palace on Friday, April 11.
Wang's application for Filipino citizenship received final approval from the Senate in January, despite concerns raised by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
In a message to reporters, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed that Wang's citizenship application had been "vetoed by the president."
"I am unable to blindly ignore the alarming and revealing warnings raised by our relevant national agencies that find the subject grantee's character and influence to be full of ominous and dire consequences. If not, of a clear and present danger," Marcos said in his veto message, as quoted by Castro.
Hontiveros lauded the decision from the president, saying that it was necessary.
"I firmly believe that rejecting Li Duan Wang's application is a firm stand for our national interest," she said in a statement.
Wang has been accused of having ties to Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO), which Marcos banned in 2024.
Hontiveros said that some of the red flags she identified with Wang were his failure to disclose his involvement in the 9 Dynasty junket group, which has connections to the illegal POGO hub Rivendell.
Wang was also accused of misrepresenting himself by using the name Mark Ong in the articles of incorporation of a karaoke establishment — one that allegedly catered exclusively to Chinese nationals. He was also accused of holding multiple tax identification numbers.
"These are not small issues or minor technicalities. Rewarding Wang with Filipino citizenship, despite these red flags, would have sent the wrong message and set a dangerous precedent," Hontiveros said.
It was one of Marcos’ senatorial candidates in the 2025 elections, Sen. Francis Tolentino, who sponsored Wang’s citizenship bid in the Senate.
Tolentino defended Wang’s naturalization plea, saying that the necessary government agencies had already vetted the Chinese national.
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