Here’s how much Alice Guo reportedly paid to evade arrest; escape PH

August 28, 2024 Philippines Crime & Legal

Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and her siblings reportedly paid P200 million to flee the Philippines undetected by immigration and law enforcement. The information came to light during a Senate subcommittee hearing on August 27, 2024, which scrutinized the circumstances behind Guo’s escape.

On August 26, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that Alice Guo was reported to be in Jakarta, Indonesia.

During the hearing, Shiela Guo, who is purported to be Alice’s sister, detailed their elaborate exit from the country. According to Shiela, they managed to evade authorities by leaving the Philippines in early July. This contradicts statements from their lawyer, Stephen David, and the Bureau of Immigration, which claimed that the Guos were still in the country at that time.

In a report published by the Inquirer, Shiela narrated that she and Alice left their family farm in Bamban at around 7 p.m., picked up by two individuals in a van. They then traveled for about five hours before boarding a small boat, which was followed by a larger fishing vessel. They spent three to four days at sea before arriving in what Shiela referred to as “Siempena,” later identified as Semporna, Malaysia.

From there, they went to Singapore and then took a ferry to Batam, Indonesia. Indonesian authorities arrested Shiela and Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, a POGO executive, in Batam on August 22.

Shiela admitted that she was with the dismissed mayor and Alice’s brother Wesley when they fled the Philippines with the help of individuals she claimed she did not know.

When questioned by Senate President Jinggoy Estrada, Shiela admitted to staying in Batam but claimed she last saw Alice around August 19 or 20.

Senator Hontiveros asked the supposed sibling of Alice: “Are you aware that the Guo family had supposedly paid P200 million for the escape of Alice?” Shiela denied knowledge of the P200 million alleged bribe used for their escape. “Hindi ko po alam,” Shiela said. (“I do not know.”)

Hontiveros described the situation as indicative of the country’s challenges in law enforcement and border security. “We need to ensure that those who facilitated Alice Guo’s escape will be held liable,” she stated. The senator also noted that Guo might have sought political asylum in countries without extradition treaties with the Philippines, such as Cambodia.

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) indicated that Guo may still be in Batam, preparing to move into the Golden Triangle region—a notorious area for illicit activities. PAOCC Usec. Gilbert Cruz was quoted as saying in an August 25 report of TV5, “Dahil may pera ka, magkaka-interes sila sayo. Babayaran mo ‘yung political asylum mo. Pero kung magcha-China, definitely hindi siya makakapunta.” (“Because you have money, they will be interested in you. You will pay for your political asylum. But if she goes to China, she definitely will not be allowed in.”)

The Golden Triangle includes Cambodia, where the Guo family reportedly has gambling interests.

In the Senate hearing, Shiela Guo also revealed her questionable citizenship status. She admitted to holding both Philippine and Chinese passports, with the latter issued in 2021. Shiela acknowledged that she was not Alice’s biological sister but was invited to the Philippines by Alice’s father, Jian Zhong Guo, in 2001. “He is not my real father,” Shiela clarified.