Alice Guo: A foreigner helped me flee Philippines
Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo is cited for contempt by the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on Monday, September 9, 2024, for lying and refusing to answer questions from senators about her identity. The former mayor faced the Senate panel after evading the arrest warrant issued by the Senate amid the probe into the reported criminal activities linked to offshore gambling, including her alleged involvement with Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs). Photo from Joseph B. Vidal/ OSP
MANILA, Philippines — Alice Guo (real name: Guo Hua Ping) said she was able to flee the Philippines last July with just the help of a foreigner.
At the resumption of the Senate committee on women and children’s inquiry into Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) on Monday, Guo repeatedly refused to give names of people who helped her leave the Philippines nearly two months ago despite an existing arrest order issued by the upper chamber and a lookout bulletin against her.
But panel head Sen. Risa Hontiveros and other senators present in the hearing compelled her to write the name of the main person or people who facilitated her escape – to which Guo complied.
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Escape
After receiving the piece of paper where Guo wrote the name, Hontiveros asked the dismissed Bamban town mayor:
“Walang Filipino na tumulong sa inyo? So ‘yung kaisa-isang tao na isinulat ninyo sa papel, ‘yun lang ang tumulong sa inyo?”
READ: TIMELINE: Where did she ‘Guo’? Alice Guo’s story and escape
(No Filipino helped you? So the only person that you wrote on the paper was the only one who helped you?)
Guo nodded in response.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Etrada then continued to quiz Guo, particularly asking if she is certain that no Filipino or Filipino government official helped her escape.
READ: Alice Guo: After arrest in Indonesia, she is back in Philippines
Guo replied, maintaining there was none, which annoyed Estrada.
“That’s impossible! Imposibleng walang tumulong sa iyo upang makatakas dito sa Pilipinas,” he said. (It’s impossible that no one helped you escape from the Philippines.)
“Pero wala po talaga,” Guo answered. (But there’s really none.)
READ: Alice Guo, over 30 others sued for money laundering
‘Facilitator’
At this point, Estrada divulged that the “facilitator” of Guo’s escape is a Chinese national.
“Ang galing naman nitong Chinese na ito. Nag-arkila ng yate, dinala ka kung saan man ‘yan — Malaysia o Indonesia – itong tao lang na ito ang nag-facilitate sa’yo na walang tulong ang mga Pilipino?” said Estrada.
(This Chinese is very good. Chartered a yacht, brought you wherever — Malaysia o Indonesia – this is the only person who facilitated it for you without the help of a Filipino?)
“Wala pong tumulong, wala pong nakatulong na Filipino,” Guo reiterated.
((No one helped, no Filipino helped.)
Later into the hearing, Hontiveros bared that the name of the individual who helped Guo escape was already mentioned during the previous hearings of the Senate panel.
No other details were provided aside from Estrada’s revelation that the facilitator of Guo’s escape is in Taiwan, and that the person holds five passports.
“Holder ng passport ng [Saint] Kitts [and] Nevis, China, Cyprus, Dominica, at Cambodia. He’s a holder of five passports and based [on] the information I received he is now in Taiwan,” said Estrada.
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