Alice Guo has left PH in July — Risa Hontiveros

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday revealed information that dismissed Bamban, Mayor Alice Guo, who was also identified as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, had left the country on July 18.

"I am now in receipt of information that in fact this person was already out of the country on July 18, 2024 to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ipapakita ko po ang dokumentong ito, bilang patunay na pumasok sa Malaysia si Alice Guo.  Siya po ay pumasok ng 12:17:13 military time ng July 18..." Hontiveros said in a privilege speech during Senate's session.

[I am now in receipt of information that in fact this person was already out of the country on July 18, 2024 to Kuala Lumpur. She entered [Malaysia] 12:17:13 military time of July 18...]

According to the senator, Guo has used her Philippine passport to leave the country.

After going to Malaysia, Hontiveros, citing information from her sources, said that Guo went to Singapore to meet her father Guo Jian Zhong, mother Lin Wen Yi, her brother Wesley Guo and Cassandra Ong, the named representative of the raided POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga Lucky South 99.

"Tumuloy si Alice Guo sa Singapore, kung saan nag tagpo tagpo sila ng kanyang magulang na sina Lin Wen Yi at Guo JIanZhong. The couple flew in from China on July 28, 2024. Mistulang reunion sila doon kasama sina Wesley Guo at si Cassandra Ong," she said.

[Alice Guo went to Singapore, where she met with her parents Lin Wen Yi and Guo JlanZhong. The couple flew in from China on July 28, 2024. They had a reunion.]

"Who allowed this travesty to happen? Sino ang may kagagawan nito? Hindi makakaalis si Alice Guo kung walang tumulong sa kanya na mga opisyales ng pamahalaan [Who's responsible for this? Alice Guo cannot leave the country if not for assistance from government officials]," Hontiveros said.

She then raised the possible need for law enforcement agencies to be investigated.

"Para tayong ginisa sa sarili nating mantika. I have always believed that legislative hearings are policy-driven kaya noong nag announce na ng ban ang Pangulo, sabi ko, we have done our jobs, let law enforcement take the lead," she said.

"Pero paano kung ang law enforcement mismo ang kelangan imbestigahan? What if they dropped the ball? Paano kung sila ang dapat managot? Nangako ang BI sa akin at sa Senate President Pro Tempore na hindi nila hahayaan si Guo Hua Ping na makaalis sa Pilipinas, eh yun pala ay wala na talaga siya," she added.

Hontiveros urged the need for these loopholes to be addressed.

"Kung hindi po natin ito gawan ng paraan, as an institution, as a country, parang nagpasampal tayo sa dayuhang ito na paulit ulit na sinasaula ang ating mga batas, patakaran at proseso," she ended.

(If we do not address this, as an institution, as a country, it's like we allowed this foreigner to slap us in the face several times by disrespecting our laws, regulations and processes.)

Meanwhile, Senator Raffy Tulfo raised the possibility of Guo using a private plane to depart from the Philippines.

Tulfo attributed this to the lack of processing center for chartered planes where the customs and immigration officers can check travel documents, specifically passports, as well as the luggage of the outgoing passengers.

"This is one example kung bakit ito si Alice Guo ay nakalabas. Walang nakalagay kung anong eroplano, right, going out? I'm very sure ito ay lumabas through a chartered plane, through a private plane. So all we need to do is tanungin natin kung mate-trace yan, ano 'yung mga chartered plane na lumabas that very day from the Philippines dun natin mata-track down at sino ang mga nag-process po ng kanilang passport sa loob ng eroplano," he said.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who actively participated in the investigation into Guo's background along with Hontiveros, disclosed that one of his office staff went to the law firm in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan which supposedly notarized the counter-affidavit of Guo.

According to Gatchalian, the law firm exists but the lawyer who notarized Guo's counter-affidavit, Atty. Elmer Galicia, was not there when his staff visited them.

"Nakausap po ng staff po natin sa telepono at ang sabi po ni Atty. Galicia na si Guo Hua Ping ay pumunta sa kanya personally on August 14, 2024. So talaga pong may pinagluloko po tayo dahil parang lumalabas at bumabalik. At despite na meron pong arrest warrant ay hindi po ito pinapansin," he said.

Gatchalian suggested inviting Galicia in the next Senate hearing into the raided POGO hubs to find out if the lawyer was lying or Guo really appeared before him.

"Itong abogadong to ay dapat po maimbitahan para malaman ho natin ang katotohanan either siya ho 'yung nagsisnungaling at wala pong personal appearance o talagang balik-labas, balik-labas po ng ating bansa na lumalampas po sa Bureau of Immigration dahil hindi naman po makakalabas at makakabalik po ng ating bansa kung hindi po tinatatakan po yung kanyang pasaporte," he said.

(This lawyer should be invited in order for us to learn the truth, either he is lying and there is no personal appearance or they leave and enter the country several times without passing through the Bureau of Immigration since one cannot enter or exit our country without your passport being stamped.)

Gatchalian said that in the sworn counter affidavit that Guo filed on Aug.15 with the DOJ, an Atty. Elmer Galicia  was the notary public.

"He told our staff this morning that Alice Guo personally appeared in his office when said document was executed," the senator said to Nimfa Ravelo via Super Radyo dzBB.

GMA News Online reached out to Guo's legal counsel, Atty. Stephen David, but he has yet to reply as of posting time.

Still in PH?

Meanwhile, Justice spokesperson Atty. Mico Clavano said the Department of Justice (DOJ) did not receive any report of departure from the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

“As far as we know, Mayor Guo is still in the country,” he said in a message to reporters.

Clavano said that the DOJ will continue to  gather information from the BI and the National Bureau of Investigation.

“This is a case of national significance. Thus if it is indeed true that Alice Guo has left the country, a thorough investigation is needed to hold those responsible accountable. This is not a light matter,” he said.

However, the spokesperson also noted that Guo had filed a motion with a counter-affidavit at the DOJ last Friday, which was notarized on August 14 in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan.

He said there were also sightings of Guo after July 18.

In a tweet, GMA Integrated News' Jonathan Andal said government officials are still verifying the information that Guo had left the country.

DOJ, NBI, and PAOCC are now verifying the information revealed by Sen Risa Hontiveros that Alice Guo has already left the Philippines @gmanews pic.twitter.com/IsrlTkKVlq

— Jonathan Andal (@JonathanAndal_) August 19, 2024

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said: "As far as we know, Mayor Guo is still in the country. There has been no report to us of an attempted departure from the Bureau of Immigration ... There have been reported sightings from LEAs [law enforcement agencies] after July 18, 2024.

In a tweet, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio said that they are coordinating with their local partners and foreign counterparts.

For his part, National Bureau of Investigation chief Director Jaime Santiago said they are verifying the information from their Malaysian and Singaporean counterparts. — RSJ/RF, GMA Integrated News