Who is Alice Guo? No Tarlac politician knows her, says Marcos

Bamban Mayor Alice Guo had been the subject of investigation for some time, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on Thursday.

In an interview with reporters, Marcos said he knew most of the politicians in Tarlac and none of them knew the mayor of Bamban.

''Well, matagal na naming inimbestigahan ‘yan, kaya naman nahuli ‘yan eh," Marcos said in an ambush interview in Cagayan de Oro City.

(We've been investigating her for a long time; that's why she was caught.)

"Dahil ni-raid natin ‘yung sa Bamban at nakita natin nga ‘yung mga dokumento, na kinukwestyon ngayon natin ‘yan, kung talagang  totoo ‘tong mga 'to, at saka paano siya tumakbo ng mayor?'' Marcos said. 

(We raided the place in Bamban and we saw the documents. We are now looking into these and also how she was able to run for mayor.)

"Kilala ko lahat ng mga taga Tarlac na politiko, walang may kilala sa kanya. Kaya nagtataka kami kung saan nanggaling ito. Bakit ganito ito? Hindi namin malaman,'' he added. 

(I know all the politicians in Tarlac, and no one among them knows her. So we've been wondering where she came from. How come this happened? We don't know.)

Marcos said the controversial mayor should really be investigated by concerned agencies. 

''Kaya kailangan talagang imbestigahan. So, kasabay ng sa Bureau of Immigration, pati—siguro may magku-kwestyon ng taga citizenship. ‘Yun lahat i-imbestigahan natin ‘yan kasama ang imbestigasyon, hearing na ginagawa ng Senado,'' Marcos said.

(She really should be investigated. While checking with the Bureau of Immigtration, her citizenship should also be questioned perhaps. We are going to investigate all that along with the hearing that the Senate is conducting.)

Over the past few days, Guo's identity has been questioned amid the Senate inquiry into alleged illegal operations at the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator hub in Bamban.

According to Guo's certificate of candidacy obtained by GMA Integrated News Research, she was born in 1986 in Tarlac, Tarlac. It also showed that in October 2021, Guo had been a resident of Bamban for more than 18 years.

A Senate committee is now looking into Guo's alleged involvement in the POGO behind the Bamban town hall.

The POGO was raided in March in connection with allegations of human trafficking and serious human illegal detention. — BM/NB, GMA Integrated News