by Dani Santos

“Effective today, all POGOs are banned.” 

The statement was indeed the highlight of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’ speech in his third State of the Nation Address, emphasizing that banning Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) will “solve a lot of problems.” Such a decision may have been prompted by the latest twists of events involving the functions of POGOs in the country, including connections to organized crimes. 

One such twist of events was popularized by the infamous Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, and her notorious response of “hindi ko na po alam, your honor.” Fortunately, unlike Mayor Guo, we do know when and where everything started. 

‘Alice in Farmland’: Where Everything Started 

Alice Leal Guo, more commonly known as Alice Guo, has been the Mayor of the municipality of Bamban, Tarlac, since June 30, 2022. According to Alice Guo’s Certificate of Candidacy for Mayor filed last October 2021, she has declared herself a Filipino citizen living in the Philippines for thirty-five years, same as her age, with businesswoman as her occupation. In May 2022, Guo won the elections, garnering 16,503 votes, making her the first female Mayor of the municipality. As Bamban Mayor, she implemented projects such as ‘Barangayan,’ wherein the local government unit provided free medical, dental, and documentation services, as well as free rabies vaccines for dogs and cats.

Based on the initial information about the Bamban Mayor, it seems as though she won fairly in the election two years ago, despite recent complaints being reported against her. Looking at the projects she had for the municipality, it seems that the said mayor displayed a genuine concern for her people. However, if her reputation really is truthful and a clean slate, how and why exactly did her name get involved in controversies?

Controversies arose when, on March 25, 2024, after Zun Yuan Technology Inc., a POGO hub, was raided in the province of Tarlac due to human trafficking and illegal detention, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian called on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to look into a local government official, Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, and her possible involvement with the operations. According to Gatchalian, his office acquired a Sangguniang Bayan Resolution dated September 2020, wherein Mayor Guo, who was then a private citizen, allegedly applied for a license to operate the Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc. However, the hub was raided back in February 2023, which left its compound to be used by Zun Yuan Technology Inc. With this, the DILG then formed a task force to investigate further the allegations made toward the Bamban Mayor. Yet, Guo remained steadfast in defending herself and denied her alleged involvement with the raided POGO hub and their illegal activities. “Human trafficking, torture, and illegal detention are heinous crimes that I never, ever tolerate, much less be involved in,” the Bamban Mayor then added.

On the other hand, the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, led by Senator Risa Hontiveros, held four hearings on the illegal activities of POGOs, with Mayor Alice Guo and her supposed connections with POGOs in Bamban as the hearings’ subjects since May. The legal proceedings then took a sharp turn when, instead of delving deeper into the illegal operations taking place in the province, the result of hearings compelled Hontiveros to question the identity of the Bamban Mayor due to the gaps in the narrative that the Mayor was providing. Senator Risa further explained that even those who are native to Bamban stated that Guo’s name only surfaced during the 2022 elections. “Kahapon sa ating hearing, halos malunod tayo sa rami ng rebelasyon na nanganak pa ng mas maraming tanong. Una na dyan: Totoo kaya na Chinese talaga si Mayor Alice Guo?” the Senator added. 

Moreover, during one of the hearings with Alice Guo, Senator Loren Legarda urged the Mayor to prove her Filipino citizenship, in which she stated, “Ako po ay lumaki sa Barangay Virgen Delos Remedios, Bamban, Tarlac. Ako po ay isang Filipino, lumaki po ako kasama po ang mga empleyado namin sa farm.” In addition, the infamous Mayor failed to be consistent with her own birth records, which were only registered when she was seventeen years old, further exacerbating her identity crisis. Similarly, Mayor Guo failed to provide any prior school records, as she was homeschooled from elementary to high school. “Ang meron tayo ay ito: Certificate of live birth. Dito naman, Filipino ang nakalagay na nationality ng tatay niya, pero sa dokumento ng embroidery business, Chinese ang nationality na naka-record. At sa kakatanong nga natin kahapon, inamin ni Mayor Alice na ‘Jian Zhong Guo,’ pala ang totoong pangalan ng kanyang ama, at yung Angelito Guo ay Filipino name lang daw,” Senator Hontiveros stated.

Answering simple questions that aim to clarify one’s identity must not be difficult if one is truthful with who they present to be. However, doing so proved to be a challenge to Mayor Guo, as she did not become consistent with her own history and official records. With this, we cannot help but question her intentions for running as the Mayor of the municipality of Bamban, Tarlac, especially now that POGO hubs were — and are being raided in Bamban, Tarlac where she was the former Mayor. Thus, it would not be surprising if the Senate questioned the possible link between Mayor Guo and the raided POGOs in Tarlac, as her not being consistent with her identity led the Senate to be suspicious of the information that she conveyed to the public. 

Furthermore, as much as being of service to the Filipinos must not be equated to one’s ethnicity, as Filipinos are not the only ones who can serve and care about Filipinos, being a servant-leader calls one to be genuine and have truthful intentions. If Mayor Guo’s intentions had indeed come from a pure and sincere desire to serve her people, she would have become consistent with her records and her answers during the hearing. However, the opposite happened, prompting the Senate to question not just her identity but her actions as well. Most of all, being a servant-leader calls one to commit and stand for the truth. Yet, the recent turn of events proves that Mayor Alice Guo is not the servant-leader that she presents herself to be.

Alice Guo or Guo Hua Ping? The Tale of Two Alice Guos

Aside from the Mayor’s questionable background, her past businesses were also questioned by Senator Hontiveros due to her alleged connections with foreign businessmen who have criminal records. One example being the recently raided Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated. According to Baofu Land Development Inc.’s 2019 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents, the aforementioned POGO hub operated inside Baofu Compound behind Bamban Municipal Hall. Furthermore, according to the SEC, Guo, along with Zhang Ruijin, a Chinese national who was allegedly linked to the “largest money laundering case in Singapore,” were incorporators of Baofu. However, Alice clarified that she was not aware of the criminal records of her business partners and that she only became aware of it through social media. In addition, according to the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the electricity bills of the raided POGO hubs in Bamban were named under Guo. 

Moreover, there were also discrepancies with Alice Guo’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), as she had declared her assets to be worth P429 million in her June 30, 2022 SALN. Yet, on an amended document issued on July 1, 2022, her net worth dropped to only P286 million. Due to the differences between the Mayor’s statements and records, it seems as if the only consistent thing about her is her tendency for inconsistencies. From her identity and previous endeavors to even her own SALN, the Mayor herself cannot keep up with the alleged lies that were built over the past years. If she really claims to be a Filipino with a truthful background and has nothing to hide, her inconsistencies prove this otherwise.

On June 18, 2024, Senator Gatchalian released records from the Board of Investments, implying that a certain Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese citizen who entered the Philippines on January 12, 2003, with August 31, 1990 as the registered birth date, might be Mayor Alice Guo herself. Furthermore, on June 26, 2024, Hontiveros bore a document from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of another woman, also named Alice Leal Guo, who shared the same birth date of July 12, 1986, with the Bamban Mayor. On June 19, 2024, Guo denied her involvement with the Chinese national Guo Hua Ping. However, another twisted turn of events took place on June 27, 2024, when the NBI confirmed that Mayor Alice Guo and Guo Hua Ping’s fingerprints were a match, which means Alice Guo and Guo Hua Ping are the same person. 

Taking a closer look at the evidence presented, it is undeniable that Mayor Alice Guo deceived the public and built lies over the years for her own benefit. Furthermore, Alice used the power of her position as the Bamban Mayor to cover up her lies and serve as a facade for the illegal functions of POGOs in Bamban. With this, her actions may imply that her intention was not to protect the municipality of Bamban but perhaps to cover up the illegal activities she is involved in. Guo presented herself as a small-town Mayor with no connections to POGOs and organized crime, yet she lied to the very people she was supposed to serve right in front of their faces—neglecting the spirit of true leadership and service. 

[Status: Found] Alice Finally Guos *Goes* Home

On June 3, 2024, Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo received a six-month suspension from the Office of the Ombudsman, following her alleged involvement with illegal activities of raided POGOs in Bamban. Meanwhile, on July 13, 2024, the Senate issued an arrest warrant against Mayor Alice Guo for repeatedly failing to attend the Senate hearings about her involvement with POGOs in her town. Moreover, on August 13, 2024, in a 25-page decision, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of Mayor Guo, the forfeiture of her retirement funds, and perpetual dismissal from public service on account of grave misconduct. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) also served a subpoena to Guo on the same day, which she failed to receive personally. However, this is no longer surprising, as the Mayor has already failed to attend multiple hearings, implying that the infamous politician might be hiding somewhere else.

Nonetheless, the unsolved case of the missing Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo has recently been put to rest when Senator Hontiveros revealed on August 19, 2024, that the absentee mayor had already left the country for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 19, 2024. On August 20, 2024, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) disclosed that Guo was, at the time, in Indonesia. Still, these series of actions from the infamous mayor are not surprising at all. The fact that she was able to enter the Philippines and run and win as a Mayor of a municipality, all while faking an identity, proves that she can do just about anything—even leave the place she corrupted and everyone she deceived.

However, Guo’s little detour in Indonesia finally came to an end when, on September 4, 2024, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) confirmed the dismissed Mayor Alice Guo’s arrest in Indonesia and is now in the custody of Indonesian Police at Jatanras Mabes Polri. According to NBI Director Jaime Santiago, they are now anticipating the arrival of the infamous politician within the week. 

It is incredible, in a way, how the Indonesian police were quick to address the fleeting politician concern, unlike our own government agencies, whom Guo managed to pass through, which enabled her to leave the country, despite all the charges filed against her. However, now that Alice Guo has been found and is expected to return to the country, the government must take this opportunity to hold the deceitful politician accountable for the multiple crimes she has committed against the people she was “serving.” 

The presence of Alice Guo and her devious acts also imply the faulty electoral system of the Philippines, as her background was not thoroughly checked and verified by the Commission of Elections. On July 8, 2024, the Comelec investigation of Alice Guo began. Yet, why is it only being done now? Especially after her two years of service? There should have been a background check done even before she was elected or approved of candidacy to prevent such a fraudulent act from entering the functions of the Philippine government. 

According to Comelec Chairman George Garcia, the Comelec’s job or “ministerial duty,” is to accept COCs and to check whether or not the questions in the form were accomplished and sworn in. “Pagkatapos po noon, yun po ay sapat na sa amin. Hindi po kami magpapa-require ng dagdag na ebidensya, o kahit anong dokumento. Ipe-presume po namin yun na valid ang kanyang deklarasyon at tama ang kanyang deklarasyon,” Garcia stated. Moreover, Garcia added that no one filed a complaint against Guo’s candidacy, which further supports the reason why they did not investigate further. 

However, the fact that one has to complain about a candidate first before the Comelec does a background check on the aspiring politician implies the defective system of elections and investigations on candidates. As much as the voters are encouraged and obliged to vote wisely by taking a closer look at the candidates, the electoral body must have the same obligation as we are to elect a competent politician and give them the seat of power. If that very power is given to a person with malicious intentions, the constituents, as well as their tax money, may not be treated and used fairly. With this, background checks and investigations on political candidates must exist for us to properly elect a competent leader. 

Ultimately, we must strengthen our electoral and justice system to avoid electing people with questionable backgrounds and intentions and hold corrupt politicians accountable, as they will only leech off of our people and bring harm to our country.

May the fraudulent act serve as a reminder of our duty as Filipino citizens to elect competent and truthful leaders.