Philippine president announces investigation after former mayor leaves country amid allegations against Chinese criminal network – JURIST

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised on Wednesday that “heads will roll” as the government investigates how a former mayor accused of having links to Chinese crime syndicates fled the country, saying that “Alice Guo's departure has exposed the corruption that is undermining our justice system and eroding public trust.”

On Monday, Senator Hontiveros shared information from the National Bureau of Investigation that Guo entered Malaysia on July 18 and traveled to Singapore on July 21. The Bureau of Immigration confirmed these suspicions, stating that “the intelligence that Guo traveled to Malaysia and Singapore came from very reliable sources.” Several senators called on the State Department to revoke Guo's passport on national security grounds and add her name to the International Criminal Police Organization's red list. Inclusion on the list would allow law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest Guo.

Marcos promised the following:

We will expose the perpetrators who abused people's trust and contributed to their escape. A full investigation is already underway and those responsible will be suspended and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

Senator Win Gatchalian has also announced that the Senate will initiate criminal proceedings against Guo for perjury and her continued disregard of a Senate subpoena:

This is a slap in the face to the Bureau of Immigration, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the airport manager concerned. One cannot simply walk into an airport undetected, nor can one leave our airports undocumented. One has to go through immigration and countless security cameras. There has to be traces of movements within the airport all the way to boarding the plane.

Although Guo “slipped through the net,” Gatchalian said: “[h]The world is getting smaller and the long arm of the law will eventually catch up with them.” Still, the hunt has been long. Guo's citizenship was challenged earlier this year when the NBI said her fingerprints matched those of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping, who entered the Philippines at age 14. Guo has strongly denied those claims.

Following a raid on a complex of buildings belonging to a Philippine offshore gaming operator (PCO) operating out of a facility partly owned by former mayor Alice Guo, Guo was accused of having links to the criminals associated with her, namely the founders of her company Baofu Land Development Inc. One of the founders of Guo's company, a Chinese national named Zhang Ruijin, was convicted in April for links to what Senator Risa Hontiveros called “the biggest money laundering case in Singapore.” The POGO industry has been linked to cross-border crimes ranging from money laundering to human and sex trafficking to tax evasion and online fraud.

In June, Guo was placed on precautionary suspension by order of the Ombudsman to allow for thorough investigations. Senate President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada later insisted that the Anti-Money Laundering Council consider ordering Guo's assets to be frozen to protect public funds. Senator Gatchalian urged Guo to cooperate with authorities to expose the POGO bosses and expose the illegal schemes so that light can be shed on the web of criminals involved. On July 13, the Philippine Senate ordered Guo's arrest after she failed to appear for her scheduled hearing twice in a row. Guo claimed she was unable to appear in court due to stress and physical and mental health issues, and insisted she was the victim of “malicious accusations.”