Alice Guo's sister Shiela Guo, alleged cohort Cassandra Li Ong detained in Senate, House of Representatives
Shiela Guo, the sister of dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo, and Cassandra Li Ong, Alice's alleged cohort who has ties to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) Lucky South 99, were detained at the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, following their arrest in Indonesia.
Shiela and Ong were previously under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Senate President Chiz Escudero shared photos of Shiela being escorted by NBI personnel. She can also be seen making a phone call, as well as being examined by a physician.
Ong, meanwhile, is seen filling out a form while an NBI staff carries her things. She's also wearing a face mask even as she covers her face.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, sharing The Philippine STAR's post on Facebook, said they're expecting Shiela and Ong's attendance in the Senate hearings on the alleged crimes involving POGOs.
"Inaasahan ko ang pagdalo ni Sheila Guo pati na ni Cassandra Li Ong sa aming pagdinig bukas," Hontiveros said. "Mananagot sila sa pag-iwas nila sa Senado."
Shiela and Ong arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in the late afternoon of Aug. 22 and were taken to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) headquarters in Manila afterward.
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 in investigating the illegal operations of Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga.
They were apprehended in Batam City on Aug. 20. The two, along with Alice, entered Jakarta from Singapore via a cruise ship.
During their arrest, Philippine officials said Indonesian authorities didn't find Alice and her brother Wesley.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco previously said that they believe Alice, Shiela, and Wesley illegally traveled to Malaysia as early as July before flying to Singapore.
Last Aug. 19, Hontiveros wrote a bombshell post on Facebook stating that Alice left the Philippines on the night of July 17 and arrived in Malaysia on July 18.
Alice's lawyer Stephen David, however, said she's still in the Philippines.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin ordered the cancellation of the passports of the Guo family following the news.
The NBI said Alice is in Indonesia as of Aug. 20.
Alice was allegedly linked to two POGOs in Tarlac: Hongsheng Gaming Technology Incorporated, which was raided in February 2023, and Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated, which was raided in March this year. These were accused of trafficking and scams.
She was questioned as to why she was supposedly unaware of such alleged illegal activities. In past Senate hearings, she was also asked about her background to confirm her nationality, which she has since maintained that she's Filipino and has denied having ties to POGOs in Bamban and being a Chinese spy.
As weeks passed, authorities discovered discrepancies in several documents involving Guo, as well as holes in her stories. These include documents alleging she's a Chinese national whose real name is Guo Hua Ping. The NBI also found that there's a third "Alice Guo" who applied for an NBI Clearance.
In July, the Senate issued arrest orders against Guo and seven others for skipping recent hearings on the raided POGO hubs in their place.
She’s also facing other complaints in line with alleged tax evasion and human trafficking.