Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said Saturday that there should be no doubt about allegations that some Philippine politicians have received money or funding from the Chinese government, although concrete evidence is still needed to establish specific transactions.

Speaking at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, Tarriela said allegations that some politicians are being funded by China could already be considered “established facts,” citing their alleged close ties with the Chinese Embassy and their positions on the West Philippine Sea.

“Hindi na dapat pang magtaka o magduda” about whether some politicians are receiving money from China, Tarriela said.

“Ang kulang na lang is yung resibo,” he added, referring to documentary evidence that could directly trace money from the Chinese government to a particular politician.

Tarriela's remarks came in response to allegations made by former Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV that several government officials, including firms and groups linked to Vice President Sara Duterte, received millions of pesos in funding from China.

Trillanes on Friday presented what he described as financial records showing hundreds of millions of pesos allegedly flowing from Chinese government and corporate sources to entities linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

Tarriela said some politicians' alleged ties to China are reflected in their visits to the Chinese Embassy and their limited criticism of Beijing's actions in the West Philippine Sea.

He said concrete evidence tracing the money would be significant because allegations that certain politicians are being funded by China have existed for years without definitive proof.

“If former Sen. Trillanes can prove itong resibo na ito then kaya nga sabi ko it’s a national security concern,” Tarriela said.

He added that tracing the flow of money would provide a way to establish whether China is funding a particular politician.