The Philippine Senate has issued an arrest warrant for Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Central Luzon, due to her alleged connections to Chinese criminal networks and controversy surrounding her identity. The Senate president signed the arrest order after Guo failed to attend two consecutive hearings, explaining her absence as due to stress. The Senate hearings are part of an investigation into criminal activities following the discovery of scam operations in a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) compound co-owned by Guo.
The March raid on the POGO facility revealed hundreds of trafficked workers and scamming equipment, leading to an intensified Senate inquiry in May. The POGO sector, which has grown rapidly since its emergence in 2016, takes advantage of the Philippines’ liberal gaming laws to cater primarily to Chinese customers, where gambling is illegal.
The investigation into Guo’s background has raised further questions. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) reported that Guo’s fingerprints matched those of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping, who entered the country as a teenager. Despite Guo’s assertion that she is a Filipino citizen, a video reposted by the Senate shows Senator Win Gatchalian disputing her educational credentials and presenting evidence of her Chinese birth.
In her defense, Guo has declared the accusations malicious, as detailed in a letter to the Senate. She maintains that she is a natural-born Filipino citizen and denies any criminal ties. The Chinese embassy has not commented on the matter.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed his perplexity about Guo’s background and noted ongoing investigations involving the Bureau of Immigration to clarify her citizenship status.
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