September 10, 2024
MANILA – Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo has admitted that she was not willing to leave the Philippines at first, confirming senators’ suspicions that she was brought out of the country and was not willing to escape.
During the hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality on Monday, Guo was asked to divulge the name of the individual who facilitated her travel from the Philippines to Malaysia, as she said that she did not spend any money on transportation or bribing local officials.
Guo then appealed not to publicly reveal who helped her, resorting to writing the name on a piece of paper. When she narrated the circumstances of her escape — riding a yacht from Manila before transferring to a bigger boat, where she was asked not to leave a room for three to five days while without her phone — Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. then asked if she was forced to run away.
“Tumakas ka ba or itinakas ka? (Did you escape on your own or were you forced to escape?)” Revilla asked.
(Did you do it on your own, Ms. Alice? Or did this person force you to escape?)
“Siya po nag-initiate po, pero along the way po […] No’ng una po, siya po ang nagdesisyon po para sa akin. Noong una. Noong pangalawa po, dahil meron po ako ulit noong mga naririnig, nababalitaan ko, natatakot na po ako din talaga,” Guo replied.
(They initiated it but along the way […] at first they decided for me. That was at first. But on second thought because I heard threats about me, I was afraid already so I left.)
According to Guo, she traveled by land with Shiela Guo and Wesley Guo to Manila before boarding a yacht at a still undisclosed location. After transferring to a bigger boat, Guo admitted that they took a small boat to Kuala Lumpur.
But while she was seemingly detained for three to five days on the boat, Guo admitted that she had the urge to turn back and just stay in the Philippines.
“Actually nung nakasakay na po kami sa malaking barko, sa totoo lang, kung pwedeng umatras, aatras na rin ako doon, nakakatakot,” Guo said.
(Actually, when we boarded the larger ship, honestly, if I could have backed out, I would have. It was terrifying.)
“Bakit ka aatras sana? […] Ano ‘yong inaatrasan mo?” Hontiveros asked.
(Why would you go back? What are you retreating from?)
“Parang, nakakatakot po talaga […] Gusto ko na pong umuwi, gusto ko na pong bumalik,” Guo replied.
(It was really scary. I wanted to go home, go back.)
Guo left the country last July while investigations into her alleged involvement in illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) were ongoing. However, Shiela and Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, who was a shareholder of Whirlwind Corporation and the supposed girlfriend of Wesley, were arrested in Indonesia last August 21.
Both Shiela and Ong were deported back to the Philippines a day later.
Guo meanwhile was also arrested in Indonesia last September 4. She arrived in the Philippines with local authorities early morning of September 6.
Guo is accused of having links with the Pogo hub in Bamban, as she used to head Baofu Land Development Inc., which leased land to Pogo hub manager Zun Yuan.
According to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Baofu, as represented by Guo who was president of the company, purchased eight parcels of land in the town last February 2019.
Guo claims to have divested ownership of Baofu, but DILG believes the amount she divested it for — P2.5 million — was “grossly incongruent to her investment on Baufo which is approximately eight hectares of land.”
Last August 13, the Office of the Ombudsman announced that it has ordered the dismissal of Guo for grave misconduct over her “willful attempt to violate the law” as a public official who owned the sprawling property behind the municipal hall that housed illegal Pogos.