Alice Guo explains why she was all smiles during turnover to Philippine authorities
Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo was all smiles in pictures of her during her turnover to Philippine officials from Indonesia amid the investigation on the alleged illegal activities of POGO hubs in her town. But why?
That's because Alice is supposedly at ease under the custody of Filipino authorities as she claimed to have been facing death threats. She said she asked Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Benhur Abalos and Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Rommel Marbil for help, so she was happy to see them.
"I feel safe po," she said in a press briefing upon returning to the Philippines via a chartered flight early Sept. 6, Friday.
"Kino-confirm ko po lahat ng sinabi ni secretary na mayroon akong death threats. Humingi ako ng tulong sa kanila. Masaya din po ako na nakita ko sila," she added.
An official from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission said authorities from Tangerang City apprehended Alice on Sept. 4 at around 1:30 a.m.
Photos of her turnover to PH officials went viral on social media the following day. Aside from the snap of Alice beaming at the camera while doing a double peace sign, another photo showed Alice smiling in a "groufie" with officials from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration. The snaps became the subject of memes.
There's also a video clip of Alice interacting with Abalos, shaking his hand and chatting about their first meeting in Tarlac.
Alice, who was visibly not in handcuffs, can be heard asking Abalos for help amid the "death threat."
Abalos denies giving Guo 'special treatment'
When asked about Alice's smiling expression in their photos, Abalos noted that they were simply documenting her arrest.
"Ni 'di ako nakatingin. 'Di ko alam kung anong pinaggagagawa niya. 'Di bale kung nakatingin ako," he said. "Malay ko bang nakaganun itsura niya?" he said of Alice beaming at the camera and doing a double peace sign.
As for the supposed death threats, Abalos said he and Marbil assured Alice of her safety.
"'Wag niya alalahanin ang death threats. Ang importante, sabihin niya lahat ang totoo," he said in the same briefing. "'Wag siyang matakot... siya'y babantayan ng kapulisan."
In an ambush interview with reporters, Abalos called perceptions of them giving Alice special treatment "unfair."
"Isipin niyo, with all of these efforts, nagpunta kami roon nang 'di namin alam, hinahabol namin 'yung a la una, naghanap kami ng eroplano, 'di na kami nagpahinga. Wala kaming kasiguraduhan. What if 'di kami payagan?" he said. "Tapos puro kritisismo na ang inabot namin dito."
"Please naman, 'wag naman ganyan. It's so unfair," he added.
Alice arrived at a private hangar in Pasay City at around 1:10 a.m.
She will be taken to Camp Crame in Quezon City to undergo booking procedures and physical and medical examinations before being brought to the Senate later.
'So unprofessional'
In a Viber message to reporters, Sen. Joel Villanueva called out Philippine officials for the manner of their photos with Alice.
"So unprofessional," Villanueva said. "Seriously, do you want to take a picture with this treacherous fugitive!"
Earlier, Sen. Risa Hontiveros also called out the officials for their approach toward Alice.
"PAALALA lalo na sa mga kawani ng gubyerno: Si Alice Guo ay pugante. May kasong human trafficking. Hindi po 'yan celebrity," she said in a Facebook post.
In another post on Sept. 6, Hontiveros reminded officials not to make Alice's arrest a "social event" as she is, after all, a fugitive who is facing multiple criminal complaints in the country.
"Pinaglaruan ni Alice Guo ang mga batas ng Pilipinas at ginamit nya ang posisyon nya para makapag-operate ang mga POGO na naging sangkot sa kidnapping, murder, human trafficking, at prostitution," she stressed.
"Pagbabayaran niya ang pagsisinungaling niya, ang pagtago, pagtakas, at ang panloloko sa sambayanang Pilipino," Hontiveros continued.
She likewise called out Alice for turning her arrest into a "fan meet" after hiding from the law.
"We want answers. Not a photoshoot," she wrote. "Alice Guo, the FAKE Filipino, has a lot of explaining to do."
"Matapos nyang makipag-taguan sa batas, ginawa namang fan-meet nitong si Alice Guo ang pagkaka-aresto nya. Kulang na lang, red carpet," she added. "Tingnan natin kung gaano sya ka-photogenic sa hearing sa Lunes. Unli-pictures sya doon."
Alleged POGO ties
Alice, her siblings Shiela and Wesley, as well as Cassandra Li Ong, her alleged cohort who has ties to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator Lucky South 99, left the Philippines in the middle of a Senate probe on the alleged illegal operations of POGO hubs.
Shiela and Ong were apprehended in Batam City on Aug. 20 and brought back on Aug. 22.
Shiela got an arrest order from the Senate due to immigration violations. The NBI also found that Shiela is a Chinese citizen named Zhang Mier who "fraudulently acquired" a Philippine passport upon examining her fingerprints and other records.
Ong, meanwhile, is facing charges of obstruction of justice and violation of the passport law, as well as a contempt order from the House of Representatives. She's one of the key persons who could help the government investigate the illegal operations of Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga.
Tarlac's Regional Trial Court Branch 109 on Sept. 5 issued a warrant of arrest against Alice in connection to the graft case filed against her by DILG.
The DILG filed a case against Alice for alleged violation of Section 3(e) and 3(h) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The bail is set at P90,000 each or a total of P180,000.
Alice also faces money laundering charges, a tax evasion case, and a human trafficking complaint, among others.