Alice Leal Guo ( zh, t=郭華萍, p=Guō Huápíng, w=Kuo Hua-p'ing ;
IPA
IPA commonly refers to:
* International Phonetic Alphabet, a system of phonetic notation
** International Phonetic Association, the organization behind the alphabet
* India pale ale, a style of beer
* Isopropyl alcohol, a chemical compound
IPA ...
: ) is a businesswoman and former politician in the Philippines who served as the mayor of the municipality of
Bamban
Bamban, officially the Municipality of Bamban (; ), is a municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,260 people.
Etymology
The municipality derives its name from the ''bamban'' pla ...
,
Tarlac
Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (; ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. It had a population of 1,503,456 people according to ...
, from June 30, 2022, to August 13, 2024.
Guo was accused of being a
Chinese spy and also faced investigations over her alleged involvement in illegal gambling and other criminal activities. In June 2024, she was suspended for up to six months as mayor by the
Ombudsman
An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...
after the
Department of the Interior and Local Government
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety and strengthening local government capability aimed towards ...
(DILG) filed graft charges against her over alleged connections with
Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities in her municipality. She was dismissed by the Ombudsman on August 13, 2024. In a
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Committee inquiry following
raids in Bamban in 2023 and 2024, Guo was alleged by Senators
Risa Hontiveros
Ana Theresia "Risa" Navarro Hontiveros Baraquel (; born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino politician who has served as a senator of the Philippines since 2016. A member of the progressive Akbayan party, she previously served as its party-list ...
and
Win Gatchalian
Sherwin Ting Gatchalian (born April 6, 1974), known as Win Gatchalian, is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator since 2016. A member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), he previously ser ...
to have links to illegal activities by POGOs. Her
Filipino citizenship
Philippine nationality law details the conditions by which a person is a national of the Philippines. The two primary pieces of legislation governing these requirements are the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines and the 1939 Revised Natural ...
was also questioned, and was being investigated due to inconsistencies in her documents and testimony.
In July 2024, Guo's assets were frozen and an arrest order was issued for her. In August 2024, it was reported that Guo had already fled the Philippines on July 17 for Malaysia, and then traveled to Singapore, and finally to Indonesia, where she was arrested on September 3, 2024, and deported back to the Philippines on September 5, where she was detained under police custody. she was on trial in six separate cases which could lead to decades in prison, and had been barred from running for public office again. She pleaded not guilty to human trafficking charges.
Personal life
Birth and ancestry
Details of Guo's early life and educational background are disputed. Guo stated that she was born at her home, whose location she does not recall, or, according to her birth certificate, in barangay Matatalaib in the then-municipality of Tarlac
Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (; ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. It had a population of 1,503,456 people according to ...
, Philippines, on August 31, 1990, originally thought to be July 12, 1986; her family's Special Investors Resident Visa (SIRV) application documents placed her birthplace at Fujian
Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also revealed the existence of three individuals named Alice Leal Guo, all born on July 12, 1986. One of these individuals has a different physical appearance from her. Residents at the reported address of the second Alice Guo in Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
stated they were unaware of anyone named Alice Guo residing there. The NBI later confirmed that the fingerprint
A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfa ...
s of mayor Alice Guo and Chinese national Guo Hua Ping matched, confirming that they are the same person.
Guo asserts her father's ethnicity as Chinese and states he was 70 years old as of 2024, but discrepancies about his citizenship are evident from various documents. His birth certificate identifies him as Filipino, named Angelito Guo, while his business records list him as a Chinese citizen named Jian Zhong Guo, born in 1958. Guo's mother's identity is also in question; she is either a Filipino housemaid named Amelia Leal Guo, as per Guo's claim and birth certificate, or a Chinese businesswoman named Lin Wen Yi (born 1971), based on sources in Valenzuela
Valenzuela may refer to:
Places
* Valenzuela, Paraguay
* Valenzuela, Metro Manila, Philippines
* Valenzuela, Spain
* Valenzuela de Calatrava, Spain
* Valenzuela, Louisiana
Other uses
* Valenzuela (surname), including a list of people with the ...
and the Guo family's SIRV application documents. Guo claimed to be her father's illegitimate child with Amelia, resulting in her being raised by her father in seclusion
Seclusion is the act of secluding (i.e. isolating from society), the state of being secluded, or a place that facilitates it (a secluded place). A person, couple, or larger group may go to a secluded place for privacy or peace and quiet. The ...
on a pig farm in Tarlac City. However, discrepancies arose when the birth certificates of Guo, Chinese national Zhang Mier alias Shiela Leal Guo (born 1984), and Seimen Leal Guo (born 1988 or 1990) revealed discrepancies in ages of Angelito and Amelia Guo at their children's births, along with two differing marriage dates in Tarlac. Furthermore, the couple was found to have no existing birth and marriage records in the Philippine Statistics Authority
The Philippine Statistics Authority (; PSA) is the central statistical authority of the Philippine government that collects, compiles, analyzes, and publishes statistical information on economic, social, demographic, political affairs, and gene ...
. Jian Zhong Guo and Lin Wen Yi are co-incorporators in multiple businesses with Guo, claiming the same address in Quezon City according to Securities and Exchange Commission
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...
(SEC) and Bureau of Internal Revenue
The Bureau of Internal Revenue'' ''(BIR; ) is a revenue service for the Philippine government, which is responsible for collecting more than half of the total tax revenues of the government. It is an agency of the Department of Finance and i ...
(BIR) records. Guo had initially denied that Lin was her biological mother and insisted that Amelia exists, but later admitted that Jian Zhong Guo is her father. She categorically denied Lin Wen Yi to be her mother
Guo initially denied knowing Shiela and Seimen Guo, but Bureau of Immigration (BI) records suggest they had traveled abroad together. She later confirmed them as her paternal half-siblings, despite their birth certificates suggesting they are full siblings. However, both Guo and Shiela later separately denied being biological sisters, with Shiela claiming that Jian Zhong Guo is her foster father. It was later revealed that Guo has another full sibling named Wesley (born 1990, also known as Guo Xiang Dian according to the NBI) and reportedly five more siblings.
In July 2024, Solicitor-General Menardo Guevarra filed a petition to cancel the birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the Childbirth, birth of a person. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation ...
for Guo issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority, following doubts raised about her origins and citizenship. On October 4, 2024, Guo's Philippine passport was cancelled by the Department of Foreign Affairs
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...
, citing fraudulent circumstances in its acquisition.
On December 17, 2024, Guo, her parents, and her two siblings were sued by the NBI before the Department of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
(DOJ) for falsification and violation of the Anti-Dummy Law on foreign land ownership. The NBI alleged that the Guos falsely claimed Filipino citizenship and residency to acquire four parcels of land in Mangatarem, Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...
.
Early life and education
Some residents of Bamban, including those from barangay Virgen de los Remedios, said that Guo lived and grew up there, adding that she also has a sibling. Guo has stated that her family raised pigs for a living and that she grew up on a farm. She also claimed to have spent her teenage life in Concepcion, Tarlac
Concepcion, officially the Municipality of Concepcion (; ), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 169,953 people.
H ...
. Furthermore, registration records of her companies showed that she had residency in Marilao
Marilao (), officially the Municipality of Marilao (), is a municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 254,453 people.
Marilao is derived from the Tagalog word "marilaw", which tr ...
, Bulacan
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
, and Valenzuela, Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
, citing her parents' embroidery business in the latter. However, it was revealed that no such business existed, and her listed home address in Valenzuela belonged to a certain Bayle family, according to Senator Win Gatchalian
Sherwin Ting Gatchalian (born April 6, 1974), known as Win Gatchalian, is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator since 2016. A member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), he previously ser ...
.
Guo stated during a testimony at a joint Philippine Senate
The Senate of the Philippines () is the upper house of Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the House of Representatives as the lower house. The Senate is composed of 24 senators who are elected at-large (the country f ...
Committee investigation that she was homeschooled
Homeschooling or home schooling (American English), also known as home education or elective home education (EHE) (British English), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted ...
. However, her birth was only registered on November 22, 2005, casting doubts on her early life due to the absence of hospital birth records, her inability to identify her homeschool provider, and traditional educational records, prompting inquiries into the nature of her education. It was later revealed that Guo attended Grace Christian High School
Grace Christian College (GCC) (), formerly known as Grace Christian High School (GCHS), is an evangelical Protestant school that caters primarily to Chinese Filipino students and provides education from Pre-Nursery to College. It is situated in ...
(now Grace Christian College) from 2000 to 2003, covering Grades 1 to 3, according to her school enrollment forms. According to one of her classmates, she was known by her Chinese name, attended special classes for Filipino subjects, took a higher grade level for her Chinese classes, and completed the Chinese curriculum despite struggling with English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Culture, language and peoples
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
* ''English'', an Amish ter ...
.
Her failure to recall details of her birth and early life during the Senate inquiry led to online ridicule, with Guo being dubbed ''My Amnesia Girl
''My Amnesia Girl'' is a 2010 Filipino romantic comedy film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina from a story and screenplay written by Jade Francis Castro, with Juan Miguel Sevilla and Carmi Raymundo co-wrote the latter. The film stars John Lloyd C ...
'' (a locally produced film from 2010) in a popular meme
A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that Mimesis, spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying c ...
.
Residency
According to Guo's Certificate of Candidacy for Mayor filed before the Commission on Elections
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
(COMELEC) in 2021, she declared herself unmarried and claimed lifelong residency in the Philippines, residing at her registered address in Bamban
Bamban, officially the Municipality of Bamban (; ), is a municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,260 people.
Etymology
The municipality derives its name from the ''bamban'' pla ...
for 18 years by that time. It was revealed that she registered as a voter of Bamban in April 2021, just 13 months before the 2022 general elections, while COMELEC spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said that she had registered in 2018. She also claimed to have held a Philippine passport
A Philippine passport () is both a travel document and a primary national identity document issued to citizens of the Philippines. It is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Philippine diplomatic missions abroad, with certain ex ...
, the only one she possesses, since when she was between 17 and 19 years old, around 2003 to 2005. Her family's SIRV application documents indicate that, as Guo Hua Ping, she also holds a Chinese passport
The People's Republic of China passport (commonly referred to as the Chinese passport) is a passport issued to citizens of the People's Republic of China for the purpose of international travel, and entitles its bearer to the protection of Ch ...
and migrated to the Philippines on January 12, 2003, at the age of . On August 6, 2024, the COMELEC approved the filing of a criminal complaint on misrepresentation grounds against Guo after an investigation found that her fingerprints matched with that of Guo Hua Ping. The complaint was formally presented before a court in Tarlac on October 28, 2024.
Wealth
According to her December 2023 Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), Guo reported a net worth of , with assets totaling and liabilities exceeding . Her assets include nine properties in Marilao, Bamban, and Capas
Capas, officially the Municipality of Capas (;
), is a Philippine municipality, municipality in the Philippine province, province of Tarlac, Philippines, and one of the richest towns in the province. The town also consists of numerous subdivi ...
, acquired for over since 2008, three dump truck
A dump truck, known also as a dumping truck, dump lorry or dumper lorry or a dumper for short, is used for transporting materials (such as dirt, gravel, or demolition waste) for construction as well as coal. A typical dump truck is equipped ...
s worth each, and a helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...
, which was recently sold to an undisclosed British firm, worth . Guo also declared shares in several companies, jewelry worth , and in bank and cash holdings.
However, discrepancies arose in Alice Guo's financial declarations. GMA Integrated News
GMA Integrated News (simply known as GMA News; formerly known as RBS News Department, GMA Radio-Television News and GMA Rainbow Satellite News; and later GMA News and Public Affairs) is the news division of the Philippine media company GMA Network ...
Research reported her assets at around in her June 30, 2022, SALN. An amended SALN on July 1, 2022, showed her net worth dropped to exactly , removing real estate properties, club shares, and a land acquisition deposit that were later restored by December 31, 2022. Anti-Money Laundering Council documents also revealed billions of pesos were deposited into Guo's bank accounts. It was also revealed that Guo holds 31 or 36 bank accounts solely under her name and owns 12 real estate properties, 12 vehicles, and a helicopter, according to the Court of Appeals
An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear a case upon appeal from a trial court or other lower tribunal. Appellat ...
, which issued a freeze order on these assets on July 11, 2024.
Guo was alleged to own a McLaren 620R, which she denied. She insisted that it was borrowed from a friend for a car show event in Concepcion, Tarlac. As of May 2024, the Land Transportation Office
The Land Transportation Office (LTO; ) is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Transportation (Philippines), Department of Transportation responsible for all land transportation in the Philippines. Functions of the LTO ...
has 12 vehicles in record under Guo's name and not under one of her businesses; the McLaren is not among these. Guo says she uses a GAC
Gac or GAC may refer to:
*Gấc, pronounced �ək̚˧˦ a Southeast Asian fruit of the species ''Momordica cochinchinensis''
*Gać (disambiguation), a common Polish place-name Acronyms Companies and organisations
* GAC Group, a Chinese automo ...
GS8 vehicle for her personal use.
Miscellaneous
Conflicting details have also emerged of Guo's relationships. During the Senate hearings into her, Senator Jinggoy Estrada
Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr. (born February 17, 1963), better known as Jinggoy Estrada or Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, is a Filipino politician and film actor serving as a senator since 2022 and previously from 2004 to 2016. He is the current presi ...
said that Guo has a live-in partner who manages POGO operations, while Guo said she is single. She was also linked to Sual
Sual, officially the Municipality of Sual (; ; ), is a municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,091 people.
Sual is one of the towns where the Spanish galleon brought their ...
, Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...
Mayor Liseldo Calugay, but they denied having a romantic relationship and clarified that they are just friends. Six businesses bear the combination of their names. Calugay's executive assistant was later found to have helped Guo in notarizing her counter-affidavit after she had fled the country.
Guo has also said that she identifies her mother tongue as Filipino and is proficient in only a few Hokkien
Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...
words. She has little fluency in Kapampangan
Kapampangan, Capampañgan or Pampangan may refer to:
*Kapampangan people, of the Philippines
*Kapampangan language
Kapampangan, Capampáñgan, or Pampangan, is an Austronesian language, and one of the eight major languages of the Philippines. ...
, a language common in Bamban. According to her elementary classmates at Grace Christian High School, Guo did not speak either English or Filipino in the early 2000s, suggesting that she was from China.
Political career
In October 2021, Guo filed her certificate of candidacy to run for municipal mayor of Bamban
Bamban, officially the Municipality of Bamban (; ), is a municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,260 people.
Etymology
The municipality derives its name from the ''bamban'' pla ...
, Tarlac
Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (; ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. It had a population of 1,503,456 people according to ...
, as an independent candidate
An independent politician or non-affiliated politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent.
Some politicians have polit ...
. She tapped former mayor Leonardo Anunciacion as her running mate for vice mayor. During the campaign period for the 2022 elections, she expressed support for the candidacies of Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...
and Sara Duterte
Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio (, ; born May 31, 1978), commonly known as Inday Sara, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who is the 15th and current vice president of the Philippines. She is the third female vice president (after Gloria Macap ...
for president and vice president, respectively. Her campaign expenses, according to her Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE), exceeded . In 2024, she stated that she had received support from her friends and from the "previous administration" during the campaign. She also prominently used the color pink for her campaign. Guo was also supported by the outgoing mayor, Jose Antonio Feliciano, who encouraged her to run despite maintaining only a "civil" relationship after he had a falling out with his previous preferred successor.
In May 2022, Guo won the mayoralty race, garnering 16,503 votes against her closest rival, Anupul barangay captain Joey Salting, who received 16,035 votes in the seven-way contest. She became the first female municipal mayor of Bamban. Assuming office on June 30, 2022, she initiated projects including the Barangayan, offering complimentary medical, dental, and documentation services and rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. It was historically referred to as hydrophobia ("fear of water") because its victims panic when offered liquids to drink. Early symptoms can include fever and abn ...
vaccinations for both dogs and cats. In the third quarter of 2023, following Bamban's receipt of a Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award from the Department of the Interior and Local Government
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety and strengthening local government capability aimed towards ...
(DILG), Guo joined the Nationalist People's Coalition
The Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) is a conservatism, conservative political party in the Philippines which was founded in 1992 by presidential candidate Danding Cojuangco.
History
Formation
In 1990, amid political and economic unce ...
(NPC).
On June 3, 2024, Guo, along with Bamban municipal business permit and licensing officer Edwin Ocampo and municipal legal officer Adenn Sigua, was ordered suspended on a preventive basis for six months by the Ombudsman as part of an investigation into her alleged involvement in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). The order gave due course to the DILG's May 24 complaint.
Guo was removed from the NPC on June 22, 2024. In July 2024, Solicitor-General Menardo Guevarra filed a quo warranto
In the English-American common law, ''quo warranto'' (Medieval Latin for "by what warrant?") is a prerogative writ issued by a court which orders someone to show what authority they have for exercising some right, power, or franchise they clai ...
petition with the Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
Regional Trial Court Branch 34 to nullify Guo's election as mayor. On August 13, 2024, Guo was removed as mayor by the Ombudsman for grave misconduct regarding her involvement in POGOs. Her retirement benefits were forfeited, and she was perpetually barred from seeking public office. As her vice mayor, Leonardo Anunciacion, and seven members of the Sangguniang Bayan
The Sangguniang Bayan () is the local legislative branch of the municipal governments in the Philippines. It is responsible for passing ordinances and resolutions for the administration of a municipality. Its powers are defined by the Local Go ...
(municipal council) were also suspended for three months on the same charges, Guo was succeeded by Erano Timbang, a councilor who topped the 2022 race and was the only councilor who voted against the establishment of the POGO in Bamban.
Amidst the Ombudsman's decision and ongoing investigations, Guo initially said she would be seeking reelection as mayor of Bamban in the 2025 Philippine general election
The 2025 Philippine general election was held on May 12, 2025. During this midterm election, where the winners take office mid-way through the Presidency of Bongbong Marcos, term of President Bongbong Marcos, all 317 seats in the House of Repres ...
. But on October 8, 2024, she said she would not push through with her reelection to focus on her legal cases.
Business career
Before venturing into politics, Guo has an extensive background as a businesswoman, serving as an incorporator and holding significant shares in at least 11 companies since 2010, according to Securities and Exchange Commission
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...
records.
Air taxi venture
In the 2024 Senate inquiry, Guo admitted to owning a helicopter, which she acquired in 2019 and sold in 2024 to an undisclosed British firm. She said she meant to use the helicopter for an air taxi
An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand.
History
The concept of air taxis existed as early as the 1910s. This concept goes back as early as 1917 with Glenn Curtiss’ prototype, the auto-plane. Furthermor ...
business but was compelled to sell the aircraft after the venture did not meet their expectations.[
]
Car dealership
Westcars Incorporated is one of the businesses affiliated with Guo. It is a car dealership registered on March 16, 2016. Senator Risa Hontiveros in the 2024 Senate inquiry has alleged Guo to own 16 vehicles which includes sports utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
s, van
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...
s, and truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...
s which Guo reasoned is associated with the Westcars venture.
Alleged links to POGOs
Starting in June 2024, Guo faced cases in the Senate, the DOJ, the Ombudsman
An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...
and in the courts. Senator Win Gatchalian
Sherwin Ting Gatchalian (born April 6, 1974), known as Win Gatchalian, is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator since 2016. A member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), he previously ser ...
revealed Guo's alleged links with the firm Zun Yuan Technology, Inc., an online casino firm that was registered in the Philippines as a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO). Prior to her election in 2022, Guo had applied for the license of Hongsheng Gaming Technology, Inc.; and in late 2020, the Bamban municipal council approved its establishment and operation. Hongsheng had its license to operate cancelled by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established in 1977 through the Presidential Decree No. 1869. PAGCOR is the Philippines' largest contributor of revenue to the government a ...
(PAGCOR) by 2022. In 2019, Baofu Land Development was incorporated by Guo, Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying, with Rachel Joan Malonzo Carreon and Cypriot national, Huang Zhiyang. Furthermore, Guo was reportedly spotted with a Bulgari
Bulgari (, ; stylized as BVLGARI) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods. Headquartered in Rome, the company was acquired by the French conglomera ...
Serpenti Viper necklace worth (), a Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
silk shirt, and a Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by French brothers, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through the holding company Chanel Limited, established in 2018 and headquarte ...
bag.
The POGO hub is situated in the property which is owned by Baofu Land Development, Inc. and is located behind the municipal building in Barangay Anupul, Bamban, was twice raided by the authorities: in February 2023, for alleged involvement in cryptocurrency investment scams; and in March 2024, due to allegations of human trafficking
Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
and other cybercrimes
Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of criminal activities that are carried out using digital devices and/or Computer network, networks. It has been variously defined as "a crime committed on a computer network, especially the Internet"; Cyberc ...
; at that time, it had been renamed Zun Yuan.
In May 2024, during a Senate inquiry, senators said that the POGO compound housed "mercenaries" allegedly involved in cybercrimes and surveillance activities, citing intelligence reports. Meanwhile, Guo countered allegations against her, stating that she was the former landowner of the property, and her vehicle, found within the compound, was sold in 2020. Guo stated that being one of the incorporators of Baofu, she later sold her shares upon entering politics.
During the inquiry, Senator Risa Hontiveros
Ana Theresia "Risa" Navarro Hontiveros Baraquel (; born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino politician who has served as a senator of the Philippines since 2016. A member of the progressive Akbayan party, she previously served as its party-list ...
suggested that Guo may be a Chinese "asset" trained to infiltrate the Philippine government and "have an influence in Philippine politics". In response to the allegations, Guo expressed dismay saying that she had been "judged prematurely" via a trial by publicity. Guo stressed that she was "not a coddler, not a protector of POGOs", adding in a subsequent interview by Karen Davila
Kristin Karen Lising Davila–Sta. Ana (; born November 21, 1970), is a Filipino broadcast journalist. She has been the anchor or host of multiple programs under ABS-CBN's News and Current Affairs division, including '' Bandila'', '' My Puhun ...
that she had been rattled by senators' questions into her private life and was opposed to POGOs.
On May 16, 2024, Solicitor General
A solicitor general is a government official who serves as the chief representative of the government in courtroom proceedings. In systems based on the English common law that have an attorney general or equivalent position, the solicitor general ...
Menardo Guevarra said he designated a "team of solicitors" to investigate if Guo is illegally "holding or exercising a public office" as prefatory to ''quo warranto
In the English-American common law, ''quo warranto'' (Medieval Latin for "by what warrant?") is a prerogative writ issued by a court which orders someone to show what authority they have for exercising some right, power, or franchise they clai ...
'' under Rule 66, Revised Rules of Court. On May 23, Senate President Francis Escudero
Francis Joseph "Chiz" Guevara Escudero (, born October 10, 1969) is a Filipino politician and lawyer who has served as the 25th president of the Senate of the Philippines since May 20, 2024. Escudero has served as a Senate of the Philippines, s ...
said that the burden of proof regarding Guo's citizenship lies upon the accusers.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety and strengthening local government capability aimed towards ...
in its updated report submitted on May 17, subsequently recommended that Guo be suspended by the Ombudsman
An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...
following what it called "troubling findings" during its investigation over her alleged connections to POGOs. Ombudsman Samuel Martires
Samuel Reyes Martires (; born January 2, 1949) is a Filipino lawyer serving as the Ombudsman of the Philippines since 2018, appointed to the post by then-President Rodrigo Duterte. He was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 2017 to ...
, however, told ''24 Oras
(pronounced as bente kwatro oras / ) is a Philippine television news broadcasting show broadcast by GMA Network. Originally anchored by Mel Tiangco and Mike Enriquez, it premiered on March 15, 2004, on the network's Telebabad line up. Ti ...
'' that his office has received the DILG's unsigned task force
A task force (TF) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many ...
's fact-finding report copy. In effect the Ombudsman remanded
Remand may refer to:
* Remand (court procedure), when an appellate court sends a case back to the trial court or lower appellate court
* Pre-trial detention, detention of a suspect prior to a trial, conviction, or sentencing
See also
*'' Remando ...
Guo's case hinting
Font hinting, also known as instructing, is the use of mathematical instructions to adjust the display of an outline font so that it lines up with a rasterized grid. At low screen resolutions, hinting is critical for producing clear, legible t ...
that the DILG ought to file a valid criminal complaint
In legal terminology, a complaint is any formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties (the plaintiff(s)) believes are sufficient to support a claim against the party ...
with attached legal documents for Guo's criminal investigation
Criminal investigation is an applied science that involves the study of facts that are then used to inform criminal trials. A complete criminal investigation can include Search and seizure, searching, interviews, interrogations, Evidence (law), ...
prior to preventive suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Car suspension
* Cell suspension or suspension culture, in biology
* Guarded suspension, a software design pattern in concurrent programming suspending a method call and the calling ...
. In response, Bamban vice mayor Leonardo Anunciacion said there was no basis for Guo to be suspended, while Moncada mayor Estelita Aquino, the president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Tarlac chapter, of which Guo is the treasurer, also defended Guo, saying that she is "helpful and easy to get along with" and that Bamban had progressed under her leadership. The Nationalist People's Coalition also announced an investigation into Guo, with party member Win Gatchalian urging the NPC to expel her. On June 1, the DILG announced that it had filed a criminal complaint to the Ombudsman dated May 24 charging Guo with graft. On June 21, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission filed a criminal complaint to the DOJ charging Guo and 13 others with human trafficking involving the POGO in Bamban.
On May 21, 2024, Hontiveros on her social media account revealed that Guo's business associates, Lin Baoying and Zhang Ruijin, were involved in the largest money laundering case in Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
amounting to . Guo stated during the Senate hearing later that day that she only found out about her connections to the syndicate after reading Hontiveros' post.
Some members of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
also expressed intent to launch a parallel probe of Guo. It also recommended that Guo be temporarily stripped of authority over the Bamban municipal police
The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
force pending her suspension. In response, Guo said that she would not resign and would instead seek reelection as mayor in local elections scheduled in 2025.
President Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...
also supported an investigation, adding that she had been under investigation by authorities for some time and that she was not known to most politicians in Tarlac.[ In an apparent effort to refute Marcos' claims that "no one knows her", photos from Guo's ]Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
and other social media
Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
profiles resurfaced showing both Guo and Marcos together. Photos from March 2022 showed both Guo and Marcos in red shirts and face masks during the 2022 election campaign, as well as photos of Guo doing a high five
The high five is a hand gesture whereby two people simultaneously raise one hand and slap the flat of their palm against the other. The gesture is often preceded verbally by a phrase like "Give me five", "High five", or "Up top". Its meaning var ...
with Leyte's 1st district representative Martin Romualdez
Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez (, born November 14, 1963) is a Filipino businessman, lawyer, and politician who has served as the 24th Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, speaker of the House of Representatives since 2 ...
. Another photo from February 2024 also showed Guo elbow bump
The elbow bump is an informal greeting where two people touch elbows. Interest in this greeting was renewed during the avian flu scare of 2006, the 2009 swine flu pandemic, the West African Ebola virus epidemic, Ebola outbreak of 2014, and the ...
ing with Marcos during the latter's inspection of the Airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
–New Clark City
New Clark City is a planned community currently undergoing development, owned and managed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). It is located within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in the municipalities of Bamb ...
Access Road (ANAR).
On May 26, 2024, Chinese-Filipino
Chinese Filipinos (sometimes referred as Filipino Chinese or Chinoy/Tsinoy in the Philippines) are Filipinos of Chinese descent with ancestry mainly from Fujian, but are typically born and raised in the Philippines. Chinese Filipinos are one ...
activist and academic Teresita Ang See
Teresita Ang See ( zh, c=洪玉華, p=Hong Yuhua) is Filipino civic leader and activist who focuses on issues affecting the Chinese Filipino community.
Early life and education
Teresita Ang See or Hong Yuhua was born in Manila, Philippines, on ...
criticized the Senate investigation for focusing too heavily on Guo, claiming that the investigation has been diverted from its main subject of POGOs into an interrogation into Guo's lifestyle and ability to speak in Chinese languages
The Sinitic languages (), often synonymous with the Chinese languages, are a group of East Asian analytic languages that constitute a major branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It is frequently proposed that there is a primary split b ...
. Ang-See called for the investigation to "focus on the issues that aid legislation", denouncing the current investigation as a "ridiculous tear-jerker 'zarzuela
() is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name o ...
.
Guo did not attend the Senate hearings on June 25 and July 10, 2024, citing her physical and mental health. Consequently, she was subpoena
A subpoena (; also subpœna, supenna or subpena) or witness summons is a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of ...
ed by Senator Risa Hontiveros
Ana Theresia "Risa" Navarro Hontiveros Baraquel (; born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino politician who has served as a senator of the Philippines since 2016. A member of the progressive Akbayan party, she previously served as its party-list ...
on June 25 and cited for contempt
In colloquial usage, contempt usually refers to either the act of despising, or having a general lack of respect for something. This set of emotions generally produces maladaptive behaviour. Other authors define contempt as a negative emotio ...
by the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, chaired by Hontiveros, on July 10. On July 11, Guo's assets were ordered frozen by the Court of Appeals
An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear a case upon appeal from a trial court or other lower tribunal. Appellat ...
, following a request from the Anti-Money Laundering Council. On July 12, the Senate released an arrest order for Guo and her alleged relatives over the contempt charges. However, subsequent searches at her possible locations failed to locate her.
On August 14, a complaint was filed against Guo by the Bureau of Internal Revenue
The Bureau of Internal Revenue'' ''(BIR; ) is a revenue service for the Philippine government, which is responsible for collecting more than half of the total tax revenues of the government. It is an agency of the Department of Finance and i ...
for tax evasion
Tax evasion or tax fraud is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to red ...
amounting to relating to her transactions in Baofu. On August 30, Guo and 22 others were charged with money laundering
Money laundering is the process of illegally concealing the origin of money obtained from illicit activities (often known as dirty money) such as drug trafficking, sex work, terrorism, corruption, and embezzlement, and converting the funds i ...
by authorities. On September 5, an arrest warrant was issued by a court in Capas
Capas, officially the Municipality of Capas (;
), is a Philippine municipality, municipality in the Philippine province, province of Tarlac, Philippines, and one of the richest towns in the province. The town also consists of numerous subdivi ...
, Tarlac against Guo on charges of graft and corruption.
After being repatriated from Indonesia, where she had been hiding, Guo reappeared in the Senate hearing on September 9, 2024, but was cited in contempt for a second time by the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality for perjury
Perjury (also known as forswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an insta ...
and giving evasive answers. In the hearing, it was revealed that Guo was found to have paid Baofu's electric bills totaling when she was mayor from 2022 to 2024. On September 17, the DOJ filed qualified human trafficking charges against Guo and others before the Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
Regional Trial Court.
On September 19, 2024, Guo appeared in a hearing of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
Quad Committee, a merger of the congressional committees on dangerous drugs, public order and safety, human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
, and public accounts, as part of its investigation into extrajudicial killings, illegal drugs, and POGOs. She was again cited in contempt for giving evasive answers.
On October 3, 2024, the NBI charged Guo with falsification of documents, perjury and obstruction of justice over her fraudulent signing of legal documents while she was in hiding.
On December 12, 2024, the House of Representatives lifted its contempt citation against Guo, citing her custody in separate court cases.
On January 15, 2025, Guo and her co-accused were charged with 62 counts of money laundering by the DOJ. On May 23, they were charged with another 62 counts of money laundering by the DOJ.
Alleged espionage for China
Guo's dubious family background and citizenship issues led her to be tagged as a Chinese spy as early as May 2024 when Senator Risa Hontiveros
Ana Theresia "Risa" Navarro Hontiveros Baraquel (; born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino politician who has served as a senator of the Philippines since 2016. A member of the progressive Akbayan party, she previously served as its party-list ...
have asked her if she is a Chinese "asset" trained to infiltrate and influence the Philippine government.[
]She Zhijiang
She Zhijiang ( zh, , p=Shé Zhìjiāng, s=佘智江), known as Tang Kriang Kai (), and by numerous other aliases including She Lunkai, and Dylan She, is a Chinese Cambodian businessman. As the chairman of the Yatai International Holdings Group, ...
, a Chinese businessman, convicted criminal, and self-confessed spy currently imprisoned in Thailand, accused Guo of being a Chinese spy in an interview with the Al Jazeera English
Al Jazeera English (AJE; , ) is a 24-hour English-language News broadcasting, news channel operating under Al Jazeera Media Network, which is funded by the government of Qatar. Al Jazeera introduced an English-language division in 2006. It is ...
documentary program ''101 East
''101 East'' is a multi award-winning weekly television programme, broadcast by Al Jazeera English, that produces in-depth investigative documentaries from across Asia and the Pacific. The show launched in 2006 and operates out of Al Jazeera's Asi ...
''. An associate of She showed a dossier on a Guo Hua Ping that he claimed was about Alice Guo. The dossier claimed she was the daughter of a Lin Wen Yi and listed her home address as being in Fujian
Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
. A visit by an Al Jazeera researcher to the stated address found it to be the local headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party
The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
, and a number of local residents interviewed said that they recognized Guo as the daughter of Lin Wen Yi, and that she lived in the area until 2002. She appealed to Guo to confess for her own safety.
In response to the documentary being shown at a House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
inquiry on September 27, Guo denied being a spy and of ever knowing She, and threatened to file a lawsuit against him as well as against Al Jazeera.[
Hontiveros on October 8 said that Wang Fugui, a former cellmate of She, through a ]teleconference
A teleconference or telecon is a live exchange of information among several people remote from one another but linked by a communications system. Terms such as audio conferencing, telephone conferencing, and phone conferencing are also someti ...
interview backed the allegation. Wang said Guo is indeed a spy but not a "special" spy and that it just happened that She has a copy of Guo's supposed state security background. Wang also claimed that Guo's 2022 mayoral campaign was "arranged by Chinese state security".
On November 26, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA; ) is the primary intelligence gathering and analysis arm of the government of the Philippines in charge of carrying out overt, covert, and clandestine intelligence activities. The NICA direc ...
(NICA) stated that there is consensus in the intelligence community that Guo is an "agent of influence
Agent of influence is a controversial term used to describe people who are said to use their position to influence public opinion in one country or decision making to produce results beneficial to another.
The term is used both to describe consc ...
".
Escape and subsequent capture
On August 19, 2024, Senator Risa Hontiveros released documents appearing to show that Guo had fled the Philippines for Malaysia on July 18 before going to Singapore and taking a ferry to Riau Islands
The Riau Islands () is a provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia consisting of a group of islands located in the western part of the country. It was established in 2002 after being separated from the neighboring Riau Province. The capit ...
, Indonesia. The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission later said that Guo arrived in Indonesia on August 18. This was despite the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order issued by the DOJ on June 25, 2024, against Guo and 17 others. In contrast, lawyer Elmer Galicia, who notarized Guo's counter-affidavit for human trafficking charges, said that he had personally spotted Guo in the Philippines on August 14, while her lawyer Stephen David claimed that she was in the country at that time based on their conversation the day before. However, Galicia later admitted that Guo did not personally swear the document before him, and a signature mismatch was later revealed by the NBI nearly a month later. Conflicting reports emerged as to how Guo fled the Philippines, with officials saying that she escaped by air and Alice and Shiela Guo saying that they fled by boats.
On August 20, the Philippine government ordered the cancellation of the passports of Guo and her relatives. On August 21, Shiela Guo and Cassandra Ong
Katherine Cassandra Li Ong (born May 23, 2000), also nicknamed Cassy Li, is a Filipino businesswoman who was an associate of Lucky South 99 Outsourcing, Inc., a defunct Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga, that has be ...
were detained in Batam
Batam, officially the City of Batam (, not to be confused with ''Batam Kota'', a kecamatan, district within this city), is the largest List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city in the Indonesian province of Riau Islands. The city administra ...
, Indonesia, and repatriated to the Philippines the next day. By August 26, Guo was reportedly in Jakarta
Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
, according to the Bureau of Immigration. On September 3, Guo was arrested by the Directorate General of Immigration and the Indonesian National Police
The Indonesian National Police (, abbreviated as POLRI) is the national law enforcement and police force of the Republic of Indonesia. Founded on 1 July 1946, it was formerly a part of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, country's military si ...
in Tangerang
Tangerang (Sundanese script, Sundanese: , ) is the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city with the largest population in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the western border of Jakarta, it is the sixth largest city proper in ...
. On September 5, she was turned over by Indonesian authorities to Philippine authorities led by Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos
Benjamin "Benhur" de Castro Abalos Jr. (born July 19, 1962) is a Filipino politician, occasional actor, and lawyer who served as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government from 2022 to 2024 in the Cabinet of Bongbong Marcos, Cabinet of Pr ...
and was deported back to the Philippines. According to Abalos, Guo cited threats to her security as her reason to go abroad. She arrived in Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
through a private jet in the early hours of September 6 and was detained overnight at the Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...
(PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame
Camp General Rafael T. Crame () is the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City. It is situated across EDSA from Camp Aguinaldo, the national headquarters of ...
, Quezon City. Later that day, she was transferred to Capas
Capas, officially the Municipality of Capas (;
), is a Philippine municipality, municipality in the Philippine province, province of Tarlac, Philippines, and one of the richest towns in the province. The town also consists of numerous subdivi ...
, Tarlac, as part of an arrest warrant for graft charges. Guo initially opted not to post bail for the case until September 20. Thus, she would remain in Camp Crame under PNP custody, pending a final decision regarding the overlapping cases against her in the Senate and in Capas. On September 13, the graft charges against Guo were transferred to the jurisdiction of a court in Valenzuela
Valenzuela may refer to:
Places
* Valenzuela, Paraguay
* Valenzuela, Metro Manila, Philippines
* Valenzuela, Spain
* Valenzuela de Calatrava, Spain
* Valenzuela, Louisiana
Other uses
* Valenzuela (surname), including a list of people with the ...
. On September 14, the Supreme Court ordered the Capas RTC Branch 66 to transfer the non-bailable trafficking cases, under Republic Act No. 9208 of Guo and five others to the Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
RTC.
On September 20, the Valenzuela RTC Branch 282 rescheduled Guo's arraignment to September 30 regarding two counts of graft, in response to the pending motion to quash information filed by Guo's camp when the case was still in Capas. Additionally, the Pasig City RTC Branch 167 ordered Guo's transfer from the Camp Crame Custodial Center to the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory. The transfer occurred on September 23 and, following a mandatory medical and physical examination, she was diagnosed with a suspected left lung infection but tested negative for tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
.
"Celebrity" treatment controversy
Critics, including lawmakers and social media users, condemned the warm reception Guo had received from Philippine officials in Indonesia, which included them posing cheerfully in photographs with her, a practice deemed more suitable for celebrity encounters than law enforcement. A photo of Secretary Abalos and PNP chief Rommel Marbil documenting a private meeting with Guo was particularly given focus by critics for its bad optics.
Senator Risa Hontiveros
Ana Theresia "Risa" Navarro Hontiveros Baraquel (; born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino politician who has served as a senator of the Philippines since 2016. A member of the progressive Akbayan party, she previously served as its party-list ...
criticized the authorities in the photos, emphasizing that Guo was a fugitive with a human trafficking case and "not a celebrity." The authorities' actions were described as a "mockery" for the Philippines, highlighting the public's concern over the integrity of the legal process in Guo's case. Officials from the agencies which directly participated in her arrest subsequently apologized over the issue. President Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...
later defended the nature of the photographs as part of selfie
A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph or a short video, typically taken with an electronic camera or smartphone.
The camera would be usually held at arm's length or supported by a selfie stick instead of being controlled with a self-timer ...
culture. On September 9, Marcos dismissed Norman Tansingco as commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration, citing the agency's failure to prevent Guo's escape.
Personal information summary
Electoral history
Notes
See also
* 2025 China–Philippine espionage cases
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guo, Alice
Date of birth uncertain
Espionage scandals and incidents
Fugitives wanted by the Philippines
Independent politicians in the Philippines
Living people
Mayors of places in Tarlac
Nationalist People's Coalition politicians
People expelled from public office
Politicians affected by a party expulsion process
Politicians from Tarlac
Foreign nationals imprisoned in Indonesia
Women mayors of places in the Philippines
Year of birth missing (living people)