BI official says sorry for Immigration personnel selfie with Alice Guo

A Bureau of Immigration official on Saturday apologized for the selfie of BI personnel with dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo taken in Indonesia.

"Ako po ay humihingi ng paumanhin din kasi actually 'yung picture po na 'yon ay it was not supposed to be disseminated publicly," BI Fugitive Search Unit chief Rendel Ryan Sy said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(I am apologizing [for it]. Actually that photo was not supposed to be disseminated publicly.)

"Kasi for sitrep lang dapat sana 'yon," he added, referring to the photo of Guo with BI and NBI personnel.

(That was for a [situational report].)

Sy said he was surprised when the selfie went viral.

"Nagulat din po ako nu'ng nag-leak 'yung picture na 'yon," he said.

(I was surprised when the picture leaked out.)

The BI official said it seems that the Immigration personnel were just relieved to have found Guo that is why they were smiling.

"And nakita rin po natin doon na hindi maitago 'yung ngiti ng ibang ahente sa picture na 'yon kasi sa tingin ko po ay sign of relief. Kasi 'yon po ang time na unang naibigay sa atin si Alice Guo," he said.

(And we saw that some of the agents in the picture could not hide their smiles. In my opinion, it was a sign of relief because that was the time Guo was first turned over to us.)

"Hindi ko po sigurado kung sino ang nag-post sa social media. Pero ito pong pictures na ito ay supposedly for sitrep lamang," Sy said.

(I am not sure who posted it on social media. But the pictures were supposedly for sitrep only.)

"So nagulat din po ako nu'ng nag-leak na po at naging viral po 'yung picture na 'yon," he added.

(So I was surprised when the photo leaked out and became viral.)

The photo came out on Thursday after Guo was arrested by Indonesian police in a townhouse in Tangerang City and turned over to Philippine authorities.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is leading a Senate investigation into Guo's alleged ties to illegal criminal activities, said the former mayor should not be treated like a celebrity.

Senator Joel Villanueva called out these government agents for their "unprofessional" actions.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla instructed officials to issue show cause orders against the government agents who took photos and selfies with Guo.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. however said he saw nothing wrong with taking selfie photos with Guo, noting that it was "part of the new culture now."

There was also a photo where Guo was smiling and doing a "peace sign" with Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. and Philippine National Police chief Rommel Marbil.

The PNP on Friday apologized over the friendly pictures of Marbil with Guo during her deportation from Indonesia.

Abalos said the photo, which has gone viral and criticized by many netizens, was taken for documentation purposes.

"Pina-document namin para malinaw ito. Hindi ko naman alam kung anong ginagawa niya. Siyempre nakatingin ako sa camera," he added.

(We had it documented so it is clear. I did not know what she was doing as I was of course looking at the camera.)

Abalos and Marbil personally accepted Guo from Indonesian authorities on Thursday, then returned to the Philippines with her early Friday.

Senate President Francis ''Chiz'' Escudero said that government personnel did not violate any laws by taking photos with Guo.

"Oo, [humingi ng sorry] doon sa mga hindi sang-ayon [at] doon sa mga hindi nakaunawa at intindi. Pero nagpaliwanag na rin naman sila, General Marbil at si Secretary Abalos. Ang tanong nalang, kung katanggap-tanggap pa sa mas marami nating kababayan ang paliwanag nila," he said in a radio interview.

(Yes, [apologize] to those who do not agree [and] to those who could not understand. But they did explain, both General Marbil and Secretary Abalos. The only question is, is their explanation acceptable to our countrymen?)

Guo is facing a total of 87 counts of money laundering, along with a human trafficking complaint in connection to the raided POGO hub in Bamban.

A Tarlac court also issued an arrest warrant for her in connection with a graft case. 

A quo warranto petition has also been filed against Guo before a Manila court as well as a petition to cancel her birth certificate before a Tarlac court. —with a report from Jiselle Anne Casucian/KG/VBL, GMA Integrated News