Posted on: August 21, 2024, 06:39h.
Last updated on: August 21, 2024, 06:39h.
The fugitive former mayor of a small town in the Philippines who is accused of being a Chinese spy with links to human trafficking via the online gambling industry has fled to Indonesia, according to Philippine authorities.
The case of Alice Guo became a national sensation after police raided a POGO (Philippine Online Gambling Operator) complex in her town of Bamban in the northern province of Tarlac last February. The business, Zun Yuan Technology, was suspected of involvement in crypto scams, human trafficking, and cybercrime.
Inside, they found hundreds of trafficked workers. They also found Guo’s car. Police also discovered that the land on which the POGO complex was built was partially owned by Guo.
Further investigation into Guo’s background prompted concerns about national security. She claimed to be a natural-born Philippine citizen, the love child of a Chinese father and a Filipina maid. She said she grew up “hidden” and friendless on a pig farm.
Just Who is Alice Guo?
But her wealth, which she previously flaunted, was inconsistent with that of a smalltown mayor in a Philippine backwater. Her birth certificate was registered when she was 17 years old, and her fingerprints matched those of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping who entered the country as a teenager.
Residents of Bamban – population 78,000 – say that no one knew Guo before she ran for mayor in 2022. All of her social media accounts were registered that same year. Previously, she had no digital footprint.
All of this has led to accusations that she is a Chinese asset, which she has denied. The allegations come at a time of increased tension between Manila and Beijing over disputed territories in the South China Sea.
Last month, a warrant was issued for Guo’s arrest after she twice failed to appear at a Senate hearing to answer questions about her citizenship and the inconsistencies surrounding her birth and upbringing.
According to the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration and the country’s Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), on July 18 Guo flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Three days later, she hopped on a flight to Singapore. On Augus 18, she travelled to Batam, Indonesia, via ferry, according to PAOCC.
‘Heads Will Roll’
Her flight raises questions about how a fugitive from justice was able to travel through border checkpoints and whether she was aided in her escape.
President “Bongbong” Marcos announced Wednesday that “heads will roll” as a result of the incident, which he said had “laid bare” the corruption in the judicial system.
Guo’s case was the last straw for Marcos who was already facing increasing pressure to ban POGOs because of their links to Chinese organized crime and perceived threat to national security.
The POGOs, composed largely of Chinese nationals, thrived under former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was willing to license and tax the sector as long as it didn’t take bets from Philippine citizens.
Over 4,000 POGO-linked crimes, including kidnapping and murder, were reported from January 2017 to 2023, according to Philippine police.
Last month, President Marcos ordered the industry to be dismantled.
