Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo has been arrested in Indonesia, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said on Wednesday.
This was confirmed by PAOCC chief Gilbert Cruz, according to a post on X by GMA Integrated News’ Mariz Umali.
PAOCC Chief Gilbert Cruz confirms Alice Guo arrested in Indonesia. @gmanews
— Mariz Umali (@marizumali) September 3, 2024
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Guo was nabbed in Tangerang City early Wednesay morning.
“I was just informed by the NBI that Guo Hua Ping (also known as Alice Guo), was arrested in Tangerang City, Jakarta, Indonesia, at 01:30 on September 4, 2024,” Gatchalian said in a message sent to reporters.
“She is currently in the custody of the Indonesian Police at Jatanras Mabes Polri,” he added.
Sen. @WinGatchalian74 I was just informed by the NBI that Guo Hua Ping (also known as Alice Guo), was arrested in Tangerang City, Jakarta, Indonesia, at 01:30 on September 4, 2024. She is currently in the custody of the Indonesian Police at Jatanras Mabes Polri. @dzbb
— Nimfa R. Ravelo (@nimfaravelo) September 3, 2024
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said their counterpart informed them of Guo’s arrest around 1 a.m.
“Hawak na ng Indonesian police,” Santiago said.
(She is under the custody of Indonesian police.)
Alice Guo was arrested by Indonesian police on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.
Asked if Guo was with her brother Wesley Guo at the time of arrest, the NBI chief said the information they received was only about the mayor.
In a separate interview on Unang Balita on Wednesday, Santiago said they do not have details yet as to the manner of arrest.
“Ang report na dumating sa amin, nahuli na raw ng Indonesian police kaninang madaling araw so nakikipag-coordinate na kami ‘yung immediate na pagbalik sa atin si Alice,” Santiago said.
(The report we received is that Indonesian police arrested Guo early morning today. So we are coordinating [with them] regarding the immediate return of Alice to the Philippines.)
“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,” he added.
(We have no details yet as to how she was arrested. The report only said she was arrested at 1 a.m… She is detained by police in Indonesia.)
“Wala pang information kay Wesley. Kay Alice pa lang po,” Santiago said.
(There is no information yet about Wesley [Guo]. [The report was] only about Alice.)
He added that there are NBI operatives in Indonesia who also confirmed the arrest.
“Meron po tayong tao (NBI). Yes, kinonfirm pati na ng Immigration ng Indonesia, kinonfirm na (ang pagkahuli),” Santiago said.
(We have people there. Yes, even the Immigration of Indonesia confirmed the arrest.)
Guo is facing a number of legal troubles in the Philippines.
The 33-year-old dismissed mayor was ordered arrested by the Senate in July for repeatedly failing to attend the upper chamber’s investigation into the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in her town.
Also ordered arrested by the Senate were 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.
In May, the Department of Interior and Local Government filed graft charges against Guo over her reported involvement with POGO.
In June, authorities also filed a complaint against Guo and others for alleged human trafficking in connection to the raided POGO hub in Bamban. This was submitted for resolution last month.
The Office of the Solicitor General also filed a quo warranto petition against Guo.
In the 45-page petition, the OSG asked the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 34 to declare Guo’s proclamation as Bamban mayor null and void and for her to be ousted.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc approved in August the recommendation of its law department to file a motu proprio complaint against Guo for material misrepresentation.
In August, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of Guo for grave misconduct.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in August filed a tax evasion complaint against Guo before the Department of Justice (DOJ). BIR Commissioner Romeo “Jun” Lumagui said that Guo failed to pay P500,000 in taxes.
Guo left the country in July, going first to Malaysia, then was confirmed to have been in Indonesia.
Her lawyer Atty. Stephen David however said he was able to talk to Guo on August 19 and the dismissed mayor then told him that she was still in the Philippines. The lawyer, however, admitted that he cannot confirm the information and has no idea where she is exactly. —KG, GMA Integrated News
