Alice Guo, a former mayor in the Philippines accused of connections to Chinese organized crime, has been arrested in Indonesia. The Ministry of Justice confirmed that Guo, who also holds Chinese nationality and is known as Guo Hua Ping, is wanted by the Philippine Senate for failing to attend a congressional investigation into her alleged criminal associations.
Guo denies these allegations, asserting her status as a natural-born Philippine citizen and labeling the accusations as “malicious.”
The Justice Department stated, “This development has been verified by our counterparts in Immigration, who have confirmed that Ms. Guo is currently in the custody of the Indonesian Police.”
Guo, who served as mayor of Bamban town, located about 100 kilometers north of Manila, was arrested at 11:58 PM on Tuesday in Tangerang City, Jakarta. A video shared by Indonesian media showed her being escorted down a white-walled staircase by enforcement officers.
Philippine law enforcement agencies, including the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), recently filed multiple counts of money laundering against Guo and 35 co-conspirators with the Department of Justice. The AMLC alleges that they laundered over 100 million pesos (approximately $1.8 million) in proceeds from criminal activities.
Guo’s lawyer, Stephen David, did not respond immediately to a request for comment from Reuters.
Justice Secretary Boying Remulla remarked on the situation, stating, “The arrest of Alice Guo is a testament to the tireless efforts of our law enforcement agencies and the strength of international cooperation in bringing fugitives to justice,” as reported by ABS-CBN news.
Guo fled the Philippines in July, first traveling to Malaysia and Singapore before reaching Indonesia with her Philippine passport, according to the Philippine anti-crime agency. The Senate began investigating her activities in May, following a raid on a casino in Bamban where authorities uncovered scams operating from a facility partially owned by Guo.
This discovery led to public outcry, prompting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to order a ban on online gaming operators due to their suspected ties to organized crime. Marcos also pledged to pursue those who “aided in her flight.”
Authorities suspect that hundreds of illegal online gambling entities are running scam operations with the complicity of public officials.
