DOJ Confirms Sending Back of Alice Guo’s Companions Intercepted in Indonesia
ALICE GUO’S COMPANIONS – Two (2) companions of the dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor were detained in Indonesia and sent back to the Philippines.
The departure of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo from the Philippines is undeniably expected by many Filipinos but still leaves a disappointing note. It was more than a month ago when the Senate released an arrest order against Guo but the authorities failed to locate her.
The Senate cited Guo in contempt after she skipped two (2) hearings set by the upper chamber over the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming operations in her town. Aside from her alleged involvement in the POGO operations, her identity is also in question.
The inconsistency in Guo’s documents and testimonies and the matching of Guo’s fingerprints with the fingerprints of Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese national who entered the Philippines in 2003, lead to questions on her identity. The fingerprint matching suggests that they are the same person.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) also filed a tax evasion case against dismissed Mayor Guo. The Ombudsman ruled for Guo’s dismissal as well as the forfeiture of her retirement benefits.
It was during a Senate session when Senator Risa Hontiveros exposed a document showing that Guo has left the Philippines. She allegedly exited the country through Kuala Lumpur then moved to Singapore to meet her family.
The Bureau of Immigration previously announced that Guo is in Indonesia. According to BI, she departed the country without passing by the immigration. The authorities want an investigation on who could have possibly helped Guo.
Based on a report on GMA News, dismissed Mayor Alice Guo’s companions were intercepted in Batam, Indonesia. The said companions of the dismissed Mayor are her sister, Shiela Guo, and alleged POGO cohort, Cassandra Li Ong.
The Department of Justice said that the companions of Alice Guo were sent back to the Philippines. According to the report, they arrived in the country at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 late Thursday afternoon.
The justice department said that Sheila Guo and Cassandra Li-Ong will be facing criminal complaints. They will be brought to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) before they will be turned over to the NBI. They are also set to undergo medical examination.