National

Former Philippine mayor suspected of being Chinese arrested

Sep 04, 2024

Manila [Philippines], September 4: The Philippine Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed on September 4 that former Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban town, Tarlac province, was arrested in Indonesia , according to Inquirer.net .
The Philippine Department of Justice said in a statement that Ms. Guo was arrested in Tangerang City, Jakarta province late on September 3. "This development was verified by our counterparts at the immigration agency. They confirmed that Ms. Guo is being detained by the Indonesian police at Jatanras Mabes Polri," the Philippine Department of Justice said.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago also confirmed the information in an interview.
Ms. Guo is expected to be returned to the Philippines soon. Mr. Santiago said the former mayor will be handed over to the Bureau of Immigration before being transferred to the NBI. He also said the fugitive official will be prosecuted before she appears before the Senate.
Alice Guo 's sister Sheila Guo and businessman Cassandra Li Ong, who is related to her, were also arrested in August and are in custody. Sheila said she and her sister left the Philippines by boat.
Alice Guo is under investigation for suspected involvement in illegal activities of an online betting company in Bamban. Meanwhile, questions about Guo's background were also raised in a senate hearing.
The NBI later identified Alice Guo and Chinese national Guo Hua Ping as one. Foreign nationals are not allowed to run for office in the Philippine government.
Alice Guo is wanted for refusing to attend a parliamentary inquiry into alleged crimes. She has denied the charges, insisting that she is Filipino.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper