Former Filipino-Chinese mayor Alice Guo, who fled to Indonesia seeking refuge, has been accused of involvement in illegal fraud, identity forgery, and engaging in espionage activities for the Chinese Communist Party. This week, she was deported by authorities while en route back to the Philippines to face trial, sparking controversy by posing for a photo with senior officials escorting her back to the country.
According to BBC reports, in the photo, Guo can be seen smiling brightly, making a “victory” hand gesture, as she poses with the Filipino Interior Minister and the Chief of the Filipino National Police. The picture was reportedly taken on Thursday evening in Jakarta before boarding a charter flight to Manila.
Alice Guo, 35, is the former mayor of Bamban in the Philippines and has been accused of having ties to Chinese criminal syndicates, allegedly laundering over 100 million pesos (approximately $1.8 million) with her associates in criminal activities. She has dismissed the charges against her as “malicious” and has been subject to a Senate warrant in the Philippines for failing to appear for investigation into her alleged involvement with criminal groups.
After a weeks-long pursuit, she was arrested near Jakarta in Tangerang on Tuesday and subsequently deported by Indonesian authorities.
Filipino Interior Minister Benhur Abalos and National Police Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil escorted Guo back from Jakarta. Abalos stated that the photo was taken for documentation purposes, claiming he was unaware of Guo’s smiling and victory gesture as he was looking at the camera.
“We wanted to document it, so everything is clear,” he said. “I didn’t see what she was doing because I was looking at the camera.”
As tensions between the Philippines and Beijing escalate over sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, Guo’s case has attracted significant public attention, with social media quickly criticizing the pose in the photo.
“We want answers, not photos,” said Filipino Senator Risa Hontioveros. “The fake Filipino, Alice Guo, has a lot of explaining to do.”
Another user commented, “How can Alice Guo still smile like a movie star? This scene is one of the most unsettling moments in the news right now.”
Yet another netizen remarked on the complexity of Guo’s case, stating, “You are giving her special treatment. Alice Guo is not an actress; she is a suspect.”
Minister Abalos explained during a press conference that Guo had requested to speak with him and the National Police Chief because she had been receiving death threats. He assured her of police protection, stating, “She doesn’t need to fear because the police will protect her.”
During the same press conference, Guo admitted to seeking help from Abalos and Marbil. “I am happy to see them. I feel very safe,” Guo said as she appeared in an orange prison uniform. At the Jakarta airport, she was seen wearing a white striped T-shirt and jeans, without handcuffs.
Another photo released by the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation shows Guo smiling in the back seat of a car with authorities.
Guo is suspected of being a Chinese spy. Filipino President Marcos has also expressed concern over the incident, bluntly stating, “No one knows who Alice Guo is.”
She claimed to be a native Filipino and ran for public office as a Filipino citizen. However, Filipino authorities found through fingerprint analysis that the woman known in English as Alice Leal Guo had fingerprints matching those of Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese woman who entered the country with a Chinese passport in 2003. Guo denies these accusations.
The Philippine Office of the Ombudsman removed her from the mayor’s office in August due to her alleged involvement with illegal gambling activities in Bamban, citing serious misconduct.
During the crackdown on gambling centers, authorities discovered hundreds of trafficked laborers, including foreigners, leading the Anti-Trafficking Commission to charge Guo with human trafficking.
The Philippine anti-crime agency stated that Guo fled in July, using a Philippine passport to travel to Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Indonesian authorities arrested her with the help of Interpol on Tuesday in Tangerang.
According to Indonesian media, authorities requested a prisoner exchange, seeking to trade Guo for Australian national Gregor Johann Haas detained in the Philippines.
Indonesian authorities accused Haas of being linked to the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico and attempting to smuggle over five kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in tiles into Indonesia in December 2023.
In May, the Philippine Immigration Bureau arrested the 46-year-old Haas in Bogo City in Cebu province.
Filipino Justice Minister Crispin Remulla stated on Thursday that Indonesia had not formally requested a prisoner swap. Unless authorized to coordinate directly with Indonesian counterparts, any request for a prisoner exchange will need to go through the Department of Foreign Affairs.