Prisoner swap for Alice Guo? No official request from Indonesia —DOJ

There is no official request from the Indonesian government on the exchange of prisoners in the case of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday.

“Wala, wala pa namang official na hiling ang Indonesia dito sa prisoner swap na napag-uusapan ng mga tao,” Justice Undersecretary Nicky Ty said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(There’s no official request from Indonesia regarding the prisoner swap that is being talked about.)

According to Ty, the prisonar swap is only a “possibility.”

“Huwag natin pangunahan, ano? Sa ngayon umaasa pa rin tayo na madaliang mauuwi si Mayor Alice Guo,” Ty said.

(Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Right now we’re still hoping that Mayor Alice Guo will be immediately deported.)

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, in a now-deleted message, answered yes on Wednesday night when asked if the complications he mentioned regarding Guo’s return to the country involved the request of the Jakarta police to  exchange Guo with drug suspect Gregor Johan Haas.

Indonesian authorities arrested Guo in Tangerang City early Wednesday morning. Facing charges in the Philippines, she is currently under the custody of the Indonesian Police.

Haas, meanwhile, was arrested on May 15 in Bogo, Cebu by the Bureau of Immigration pursuant to the Red Notice issued by Interpol. He is facing charges for engaging in smuggling drugs, a crime punishable with death in Indonesia.

“May mga undesirable aliens sa kanya-kanyang bansa, puwedeng i-deport ito, 'no, sa kanilang pinanggalingan o sa kanilang bansa man… Gusto natin ituring siyang undesirable alien ng Indonesia tulad sa ginawa nila kay Shiela (Guo) at Cassandra Ong at madalian ibalik sa Pilipinas,” Ty said, referring to Alice Guo's supposed sister and associate who were also arrested in Indonesia.

(There are undesirable aliens in each country who can be deported back to their country of origin or their own country... we want Indonesia to treat Guo as an undesirable alien, just like Indonesia did to Shiela Guo and Cassandra Ong, and quickly send them back to the Philippines.)

Meanwhile, Bureau of Immigration (BI) spokesperson Dana Sandoval said that she has not received any information about the reported request for prisoner exchange. She also said there is no policy for such.

“Wala po. Kasi ‘yung regular process po if there is a deportation proceeding, ‘yung individual ang tinitignan natin,” she said in an Unang Balita interview. 

(There’s none. In the regular process of a deportation proceeding, we only look at the individual involved.) 

Asked if the possible prisoner swap would delay the deportation of Guo, Sandoval said, “We’re hoping that it’s not the case naman. So far, wala akong naririnig na ganitong mga usapan on the ground.”

(We're hoping that it's not the case. So far, I’m not hearing any talks about it on the ground.) 

A source of GMA Integrated News earlier said Alice Guo will be brought back to the Philippines on Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Guo's lawyer, Atty. Stephen David, said he trusts his client to properly answer the charges and accusations against her.

Guo was revealed to have left the country in July. She is facing a human trafficking complaint in relation to the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator hub in Bamban, as well as a money laundering complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

TIMELINE: The escape of Alice Guo and her siblings

A quo warranto petition has also been filed against her before a Manila court as well as a petition to cancel her birth certificate before a Tarlac court after authorities found out she is also Chinese citizen Guo Hua Ping. —with Giselle Ombay/KBK, GMA Integrated News