PH officers fly to Indonesia to bring back Alice Guo's companions — PAOCC

Philippine immigration officers have left for Indonesia to bring back the arrested companions of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said Thursday.

PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said immigration authorities are seeking to bring back the former mayor's sister Sheila Guo and Cassandra Li Ong, the authorized representative of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) that was raided in Porac, Pampanga.

"'Yung ating mga Immigration agents ay umalis na po at papunta na ngayon sa Batam, Indonesia to be able to bring back Cassie Li Ong at saka si Sheila Guo into the Philippines," Casio said in a Zoom briefing.

(Our immigration agents have left and are now headed to Batam, Indonesia to bring back Cassie Li Ong and Sheila Guo to the Philippines.)

"Hopefully, by today or at the earliest tomorrow," he added.

Casio noted that the Senate has issued an arrest order against Sheila Guo and a subpoena against Ong.

In Malacañang, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government is arranging that the two will be brought back to the country soon.

"Yes, well you know what I know. That they were intercepted ... in Indonesia and we are now, of course, in coordination with the Indonesian government and the agencies. Arranging for them to be brought back. Siguro [maybe] within a day," Marcos told reporters.

Senator Raffy Tulfo, however, said in a Facebook post that Sheila Guo and Ong are expected to arrive on Thursday afternoon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 via a Philippine Airlines flight.

In a text message to reporters, Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero relayed information from Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. that the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms is already in coordination with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) for the serving of arrest orders against Guo's sister.

Earlier in the day, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos announced that Indonesian authorities have detained Ong and Sheila Guo.

Asked on what grounds the two were detained, Abalos said he would check on the matter but authorities are now coordinating with the police attaché in Indonesia.

Debrief

Ong and Sheila Guo are expected to arrive in the country on Thursday afternoon.

The Senate said it is already in coordination with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) for the serving of arrest orders against Guo's sister while the House has issued an order to take custody of Ong.

However, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said they must first be questioned by the National Bureau of Investigation.

“Questioning muna. We have to debrief them. Dapat malaman namin kung anong nangyari,” Remulla said in an ambush interview.

(We have to question first. We have to debrief them. We have to know what happened.)

“We have to process them first. Saka muna ‘yung legislative investigation. We have to process everybody in accordance with the law,” he added.

(We have to process them first. The legislative investigation should come later. We have to process everybody in accordance with the law.)

Undesirable aliens

For his part, Casio said Indonesia may be deporting them for being undesirable aliens.

"Because of their association with this criminal organization. So liwanagin ko lang 'yung terminology. It may not be technically an arrest but rather they are being deported primarily because of being undesirable aliens," he said.

(Due to their connection with this criminal organization. So let me clarify the terminology. It may not technically be an arrest, but rather they are being deported primarily because they are deemed undesirable aliens.)

Meanwhile, asked if their arrest will help in efforts to look for Guo, Casio said "obviously."

He explained that Ong, a person of interest in the raided hub in Porac, Pampanga, accompanied Alice Guo, another person of interest in the raided POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac.

"So this highlights, underscores our contention, matagal na namin sinasabi na 'yung dalawang scam farm na ito ay magkaugnay," he said.

(This highlights and underscores our contention. We've been saying all along that these two scam farms are connected.)

"Pare-pareho ang criminal organization ang kinabibilangan ni Cassie Li Ong at saka ni Alice Leal Guo or Guo Hua Ping," he added.

(Cassie Li Ong and Alice Leal Guo or Guo Hua Ping belong to the same criminal organization.)

— with Anna Felicia Bajo/VDV/RSJ/RF, GMA Integrated News