13-7-2024 (MANILA) In a case that has captivated the nation and underscored the tensions between Manila and Beijing, the Philippine Senate has ordered the arrest of a small-town mayor after she repeatedly failed to appear at hearings investigating her alleged ties with Chinese criminal syndicates.
The arrest order, signed by the Senate President on Friday, July 12th, is set to be carried out by the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms and targets Mayor Alice Guo of the sleepy farming town of Bamban. The move comes after Guo cited stress as the reason for her absence from two consecutive hearings, defying the Senate’s summons.
The Senate investigation, which began in May, was prompted by a raid conducted by authorities in March at a casino in Bamban. The raid uncovered what authorities described as scams being perpetrated from a facility built on land partially owned by Mayor Guo. Shockingly, the operation also revealed hundreds of trafficked workers, including foreign nationals, leading to a human trafficking complaint against Guo from an agency battling organized crime.
While Guo has maintained that she sold her stake in the business before being elected in 2022 and had no knowledge of any criminal activities, the allegations have sparked a firestorm of controversy and scrutiny.
Guo’s lawyer, Stephen David, addressed the arrest order on Saturday, stating that the mayor was incapable of attending the hearings due to her “physical and mental health condition” resulting from “massive cyberbullying and humiliation.” David expressed hope that Guo’s condition would improve, allowing her to participate in future hearings.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, leading the investigation, emphasized that the arrest order against Guo is a crucial first step in holding her “accountable to our laws.” The Senate has also ordered the arrest of some members of Guo’s family for failing to appear at the hearings, underscoring the seriousness of the matter.
Guo’s case has shed light on criminal activity within the mostly Chinese-backed online casino industry in the Philippines, gaining national attention after a senator questioned whether she was born in the Philippines, suggesting she could even be a Chinese “asset” – an accusation Guo vehemently denied.
According to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, records have been found indicating that Guo attended grade school in the Philippines registered as a Chinese national, contradicting her claims of being home-schooled. The Chinese embassy in Manila has not responded to requests for comment on Guo’s identity.
Guo has denied any links to criminals and maintains that she is a natural-born Philippine citizen. In a television interview, she portrayed herself as a simple citizen, the “love child” of her Chinese father and a maid, who grew up “hidden” on a pig farm with no friends.
While Guo has written to the Senate, claiming she is the subject of “malicious accusations,” her legal team has also approached the Supreme Court, seeking to nullify the summons requesting her appearance at the hearings.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has acknowledged the mystery surrounding Guo, stating, “No one knows her. We wonder where she came from. That’s why we are investigating this, together with the Bureau of Immigration, because of the questions about her citizenship.”
