Mayor Alice Guo Vehicle Ownership and Business Ventures Under Scrutiny
ALICE GUO – The mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, owns 16 vehicles, according to documents obtained by Senator Risa Hontiveros.
During a recent hearing, Hontiveros, chair of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, showed photos of these vehicles, which included SUVs, pick-up trucks, a closed van, and dump trucks.
Guo explained that these vehicles are part of her buy-and-sell business, Westcars, and are not her personal assets. She mentioned, “Hindi ko na siya assets. Buy and sell din po kasi ang negosyo sa Westcars kaya may umiikot na sasakyan. Pero ang sasakyan na gamit ko ngayon GAC.” In addition to Westcars, Guo is involved in several other businesses, including a piggery, a meat shop, farms, and an embroidery business.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian raised doubts about Guo’s claim of being an ordinary citizen, noting that an average person wouldn’t own a helicopter. “Narinig ko sa interviews mo ordinary ka. Ang isang ordinaryong tao walang chopper. Ang SALN (Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth) mo umaabot sa 300 million. That is not an ordinary person,” Gatchalian pointed out.
Guo confirmed she bought a helicopter, which she sold to a British company this year. She had planned to use it for an air taxi service, but the business idea did not work out. In an interview with ABS-CBN, she explained that the venture did not take off as expected.
Guo, who is 37 years old, told the Committee that she was able to start various businesses with financial help from her father, who owns a fabric and embroidery business in China. “Minsan 500K, minsan 1 million, 2 million. Hindi naman po siya on a regular basisr,” she said. Guo also clarified that a luxury vehicle linked to her actually belongs to a car dealer, and she had borrowed it for a car show in Tarlac.
Mayor Guo is also under scrutiny for her alleged connections to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the Baofu Compound in Bamban. Senator Gatchalian suggested that, aside from human trafficking, scams, and other illegal activities, the POGOs in Baofu Compound might also be involved in money laundering.