27-8-2024 (MANILA) A Senate hearing in the Philippines has uncovered startling details about the escape of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and her siblings from the country. The revelation came during testimony from Shiela Guo, who was recently apprehended in Indonesia along with Cassandra Ong.
Shiela Guo testified before the Senate subcommittee on Justice, shedding light on the clandestine departure that took place in early July. The escape route, which bypassed official exit channels, involved a complex journey by land and sea.
According to Shiela’s account, the group was collected from their farm in Bamban, Tarlac, after dinner by an unidentified van. Following a five-hour land journey, they arrived at an unknown port around midnight. The next leg of their escape involved boarding a “small, white boat” before transferring to a larger vessel.
“We came home. Then someone picked us up in our car, a van. I don’t know the place, maybe we traveled for a few hours. I don’t remember, it was a long time. It was almost after dinner. It was midnight,” Shiela told the panel, describing the initial stages of their flight.
The sea journey continued with a transfer to what Shiela described as a “fishing boat,” followed by another vessel change that ultimately brought them to Malaysian shores. The intricate nature of this escape route highlights the lengths to which the group went to evade detection by Philippine authorities.
Upon reaching Malaysia, the fugitives’ journey took another turn. Shiela recounted that an unidentified woman, speaking English, assisted them in booking flights to Singapore. It was in Singapore that the group, including Alice and Wesley Guo, reunited with Cassandra Li Ong, a representative of the now-closed Lucky South 99 gambling establishment.
The final leg of their international flight led them to Batam, Indonesia. Shiela claimed that her brother Wesley initiated this move, citing boredom and a desire for sightseeing. It was during what was purportedly a leisure trip that Shiela and Cassandra Ong were apprehended by Indonesian officials as they attempted to return to Singapore.
The whereabouts of Alice and Wesley Guo remain unclear, with Shiela unable to provide definitive information about their current location or future plans. However, Bureau of Immigration commissioner Tansingco has stated that Alice is currently in Jakarta, and Philippine authorities have requested her deportation from Indonesia.
This dramatic escape comes in the wake of mounting legal challenges faced by Alice Guo, particularly concerning her alleged connections to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). The absence of official records of her departure from the Philippines underscores the effectiveness of the covert method employed in their escape.
