MANILA, Philippines – Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, August 19, said that dismissed mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac left the Philippines on July 18.
In her privilege speech, Hontiveros bared a document showing that Guo, also identified as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“I am now in receipt of information that in fact this person was already out of the country on July 18, 2024 to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ipapakita ko po ang dokumentong ito, bilang patunay na pumasok sa Malaysia si Alice Guo,” Hontiveros said.
(I am now in receipt of information that, in fact, this person was already out of the country on July 18, 2024, traveling to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I will show this document as proof that Alice Guo entered Malaysia.)
According to Hontiveros, Guo used her Philippine passport to leave the country.
“Mr. President, who allowed this travesty to happen? Sino ang may kagagawan nito? Hindi makakaalis si Alice Guo kung walang tumulong sa kanya na mga opisyales ng pamahalaan. Para tayong ginisa sa sarili nating mantika,” a disappointed Hontiveros said.
(Mr. President, who allowed this travesty to happen? Who is responsible for this? Alice Guo wouldn’t have been able to leave without the assistance of government officials. It’s as if we’ve been fried in our own oil.)
Citing her sources, Hontiveros said that Guo met with her father Guo Jian Zhong, mother Lin Wen Yi, her brother Wesley Ong, and Cassandra Ong in Singapore.
Ong was named representative of the raided POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga Lucky South 99.
“Tumuloy si Alice Guo sa Singapore, kung saan nag tagpo tagpo sila ng kanyang magulang na sina Lin Wen Yi at Guo JIanZhong. The couple flew in from China on July 28, 2024. Mistulang reunion sila doon kasama sina Wesley Guo at si Cassandra Ong,” Hontiveros said.
(Alice Guo proceeded to Singapore, where she met with her parents, Lin Wen Yi and Guo JianZhong. The couple flew in from China on July 28, 2024. It was like a reunion there with Wesley Guo and Cassandra Ong.)
An intelligence source said Guo arrived in Singapore on July 21 onboard Jetstar Asia Airways through Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She left for Batam, Indonesia on August 18.
Still in PH – DOJ
But the Department of Justice (DOJ) maintains that Guo is still in the Philippines.
“As far as we know, Mayor Guo is still in the country. There has been no report to us of an attempted departure from the Bureau of Immigration. She filed a Motion for her case in the DOJ last Friday to which she attached a Counter Affidavit, which was sworn before a Philippine notary public on August 14, 2024. And there have been reported sightings from LEAs after July 18, 2024,” said DOJ Undersecetary Nicholas Felix Ty.
“We are currently awaiting official verification from NBI if the documents attributed to them are authentic,” he added.
The Senate had ordered the arrest of Guo and seven others for “unduly refusing to appear, despite due notices” in the ongoing hearings into illegal POGOs. Authorities were able to arrest Guo’s former accountant, but not Guo herself.
Guo also faces a trafficking complaint due to her alleged ties with the raided POGO in her town. There’s no warrant of arrest yet against Guo because the DOJ has just submitted the trafficking complaint against her for resolution. If the prosecutors indict Guo, the case will be filed in court, after which the court will decide whether to issue a warrant against the local official.
On August 13, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the mayor after she was found guilty of grave misconduct. The Ombudsman meted her the penalty of dismissal from service, with forfeiture of all her retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification from reentering government service. – with reports from Jairo Bolledo/Rappler.com