Alice Guo arrested in Indonesia
Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo has been arrested in Indonesia amid the investigation on the alleged illegal activities of POGO hubs in her town.
An official from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission said authorities from Tangerang City apprehended Alice on Sept. 4 at around 1:30 a.m. She's now under their custody.
Sen. Win Gatchalian also confirmed her arrest in a tweet.
"Nahuli na si Guo Hua Ping aka Alice Guo sa Tangerang City, Jakarta, Indonesia," Gatchalian said on X. "Mananagot ang dapat managot!"
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, in a Facebook post, likewise shared the news after "independently confirming" it with her Indonesian sources.
"Ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng gumawa ng paraan para siya maaresto. Terima Kasih to our friends in Indonesia," she said.
The senator noted that she's expecting Alice's attendance in the Senate hearings as soon as possible.
"At kung sino man ang tumulong sa kanyang pag takas, di namin kayo tatantanan," Hontiveros added.
In a post on his Facebook page, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos thanked the Indonesian government and law enforcement personnel who made Alice's arrest happen.
"Let this serve as a warning to those who attempt to evade justice: Such is an exercise in futility. The arm of the law is long and it will reach you. This government continues in its duty to apply the rule of law," he said.
"Miss Guo shall be entitled to all legal protections due her under the laws of the land, and pursuant to our commitment to the rule of law. But we will not allow this to prolong the resolution of the case, whose outcome will be a victory for the Filipino people," he continued.
'No sacred cow'
The Philippine National Police (PNP) showed the latest photo of Alice after her arrest in a press briefing later in the day.
In the press conference, PNP spokesperson Jean Fajardo said Alice was arrested at a hotel at Cendana Park Residences.
Fajardo said they have yet to identify suspects behind Alice's escape, but she expressed openness to the possibility that there could be people within their ranks.
"If—and when—lumabas sa investigation natin na mayroong mga pulis na tumulong diyan, no sacred cow dito," she said. "Papanagutin natin ang sinumang pulis na napatunayang tumulong sa ginawang pagtakas nina Alice Guo at iba pa."
According to Fajardo, they're closely coordinating with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to determine how Alice escaped.
"Like we said early on, there's a possibility na talagang umalis 'yan through backdoor. Dahil kung through Immigration, [Bureau of] Customs, at sa ports, even sa airport, alam niyang mafa-flag down siya," she said.
Fajardo added they're in "close and active cooperation" with Indonesian authorities. They're now discussing Alice's turnover to the Philippine government and are seeking to have it done within the day.
She noted that the PNP and its Indonesian counterpart signed an agreement in 2017 to prevent transnational crimes and to exchange intelligence information.
Alice Guo's alleged POGO ties
Alice, her siblings Shiela and Wesley, as well as Cassandra Li Ong, her alleged cohort who has ties to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator Lucky South 99, left the Philippines in the middle of a Senate probe on the alleged illegal operations of POGO hubs.
Shiela and Ong were previously under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation. They were apprehended in Batam City in Indonesia on Aug. 20.
Shiela and Ong arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in the late afternoon of Aug. 22 and were taken to the Bureau of Immigration headquarters in Manila afterward.
Shiela got an arrest order from the Senate due to immigration violations. The NBI also found that Shiela is a Chinese citizen named Zhang Mier who "fraudulently acquired" a Philippine passport upon examining her fingerprints and other records.
Ong, meanwhile, is facing charges of obstruction of justice and violation of the passport law, as well as a contempt order from the House of Representatives. She's one of the key persons who could help the government investigate the illegal operations of Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga.
Indonesian authorities didn't find Alice and Wesley at the time.
Hontiveros on Aug. 19 said Alice left the Philippines on the night of July 17 and arrived in Malaysia on July 18. The Bureau of Immigration said Alice was in Indonesia as of Aug. 26.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin ordered the cancellation of the Guo family's passports following the news.
In the Senate hearing on Aug. 27, Shiela said she and her siblings left the Philippines through a small white boat.