A small-town mayor in the Philippines, accused of being a Chinese spy, has gone into hiding, officials reported. Police were unable to arrest Alice Guo over the weekend as she was not found at any of her known addresses.
Scam centres were uncovered in Ms Guo’s town of Bamban in March, hidden within online casinos catering to mainland Chinese. Her story has unfolded dramatically, with questions about her Chinese heritage and suspicions she was working as a Beijing “asset.”
Ms Guo’s case has captivated the nation amid ongoing tensions between Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea. The Senate ordered her arrest, along with some family members, last Friday after she twice ignored summons to appear in hearings on the scam centres.
“Show yourselves. Hiding will not erase the truth,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros, leading the investigation. Ms Guo has denied any wrongdoing, stating her Chinese father and Filipina mother raised her on a pig farm. However, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian claims she is a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping, based on immigration records.
“She is hiding to evade arrest,” Mr Gatchalian told local radio. “Our tracker teams will continue looking for her.”
On the day the arrest warrant was issued, Ms Guo posted a statement on Facebook to her constituents, hinting at her impending absence. “Sorry for not being physically present with each one of you. I miss you all,” she wrote, noting her absence would be “temporary.”
Ms Guo’s lawyer, Nicole Jamilla, told local television that her client would “definitely” cooperate with official investigations. Besides the Senate investigation, Ms Guo is also subject to a separate anti-graft probe leading to her suspension.
The scam centres in Bamban highlighted how online casinos, known as Pogos (Philippine Online Gaming Operations), have been used as fronts for text scams, human trafficking, and other criminal activities. Some crime rings have even built hospitals to provide cosmetic surgery to fugitives.
Pogos thrived under former president Rodrigo Duterte, who maintained close ties with China. However, under current president Ferdinand Marcos, Pogos are under increased scrutiny.
If proven to be a Chinese citizen, Ms Guo would be ineligible to serve as mayor, as only Filipino citizens can hold elective office. Despite this, her constituents, who benefit from her social outreach programmes, continue to support her.
“Ms Guo brought change to Bamban, and its people are thankful,” resident Erica Miclat told ANC television.
NNEOMA UDENSI
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