đź“·Dismissed Bamban,Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo while in the custody of Indonesian authorities (ABS-CBN |X)
Philippine authorities confirmed on Wednesday, September 4, that Alice Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, has been arrested in Indonesia.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Indonesian authorities took Guo into custody at 11:58 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3, at Jatanras Mabes Polri in Tangerang City, Jakarta.
DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said that this information has been confirmed by their counterparts in Immigration.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago also confirmed the arrest during an interview with radio station dwPM.
“Iyon ang report sa amin, it looks like na hawak na (si Guo) ng Indonesian police,” Santiago said when asked to confirm the dismissed mayor’s arrest.
When asked whether Guo was accompanied by her brother Wesley Guo at the time of her arrest, the NBI chief stated that the information they received only pertained to the mayor.
In a separate interview on Unang Balita on Wednesday, Santiago mentioned that they do not yet have details regarding the circumstances of the arrest.
“Wala pang detalye kung paano siya nahuli. Basta ang report lang nahuli siya ala-una ng madaling araw…Naka-detain nga po sa police ng Indonesia,” Santiago said.
“Wala pang information kay Wesley. Kay Alice pa lang po,” Santiago added.
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) chief Gilbert Cruz, for his part, said Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco is currently coordinating with the Indonesian immigration authorities for her possible return to the Philippines at the soonest possible time.
In May, the Department of the Interior and Local Government charged Guo with graft for her alleged involvement with POGO. Additionally, in June, authorities filed a complaint against Guo and others for suspected human trafficking related to the POGO hub raid in Bamban. This complaint was submitted for resolution last month.
Authorities filed a complaint against Guo and others last June for alleged human trafficking related to the raid on the POGO hub in Bamban. This complaint was submitted for resolution last month.
Additionally, the Office of the Solicitor General filed a quo warranto petition against Guo, requesting the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 34 to declare her proclamation as Bamban mayor null and void and to remove her from office.
The 33-year-old former mayor was ordered arrested by the Senate in July for repeatedly failing to attend its investigation into the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub raid in her town.
Along with Guo, the Senate also issued arrest orders for Dennis Lacson Cunanan, Nancy Jimenez Gamo, and the mayor’s alleged relatives Shiela Leal Guo, Wesley Leal Guo, Jian Zhong Guo, Seimen L. Guo, and Wenyi Lin.
But Guo left the country in July, initially traveling to Malaysia before being confirmed to have arrived in Indonesia.
According to her sister Shiela, Guo fled the Philippines by boat around July 14 and arrived in Sabah, Malaysia on July 18. However, several authorities have questioned the accuracy of Shiela Guo’s account.
In August, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc approved a recommendation from its law department to file a motu proprio complaint against Guo for material misrepresentation.
The Office of the Ombudsman also ordered Guo’s dismissal in August for grave misconduct.
Furthermore, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed a tax evasion complaint against Guo with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in August. BIR Commissioner Romeo “Jun” Lumagui reported that Guo failed to pay ₱500,000 in taxes. (TCSP)
