The news of former mayor Guo Huaping from the city of Bamban in the province of Tarlac, Philippines fleeing overseas has caused quite a stir. She was revealed to be a Chinese national from the post-90s generation, with links to a criminal group in China. Philippine authorities have reported her to Interpol and issued a warrant for her arrest. Currently, Guo Huaping’s sister has been arrested in Indonesia and brought back to the Philippines for detention and investigation.
Guo Huaping used the alias Alice Leal Guo in the Philippines. The Philippine Immigration Bureau confirmed on August 20 that Guo Huaping had fled the country, prompting authorities to cancel her and her family’s passports.
On August 21, Risa Hontiveros, head of the Senate panel investigating offshore gambling operators in the Philippines, revealed during a press conference that the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs had informed the Philippine Transnational Crime Center and Interpol about Guo Huaping, her sister Guo Xila (Sheila Guo), her brother Wesley (Wesley Ong), and Cassandra Ong, a representative of Lucky South company. This allowed Interpol to take appropriate action as per the Philippines’ request.
Winston John Casio, the spokesperson for the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), stated that cancelling Guo Huaping’s passport would trigger a red notice from Interpol, allowing law enforcement agencies to apprehend them in locations abroad and extradite them to the Philippines.
The Philippines and Indonesia signed an extradition treaty on February 10, 1976, in Jakarta. Both countries are member states of Interpol.
“Even without an extradition treaty, Guo Huaping could still be deported back to the Philippines,” Casio mentioned. He added that there are multiple charges against Guo Huaping, including tax evasion, human trafficking, and cases brought up by oversight committees. More charges will be filed in the coming weeks, providing further legal grounds for issuing an international arrest warrant.
According to the latest news from Philippine media, Guo Huaping’s sister Guo Xila and her associate Cassandra Ong were detained by Indonesian immigration authorities and brought back by Philippine immigration officials on the afternoon of August 22 for detention and investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Guo Xila’s online gambling company in Porac, Philippines, was previously raided by the police. The Minister of Justice of the Philippines stated that the company had connections with Guo Huaping’s operations in Bamban City.
In a hearing on June 26 this year, Senator Hontiveros reiterated the consensus against Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) transcending borders: “Hundreds of Chinese citizens in Bamban and Porac have suffered torture, and some even killed. We are also assisting them.”
Guo Huaping, Guo Xila, Wesley, and others were issued arrest warrants by authorities for failing to appear at hearings for the offshore gambling operation centers in the Philippines.
The Philippine Immigration Bureau stated that upon learning that the Guo siblings had traveled to Batam, Indonesia on August 18, they immediately coordinated with Indonesian counterparts, who initiated an investigation because the Philippines was seeking them.
On August 22, Casio announced that upon receiving information about Guo Xila and Cassandra Ong’s detention in Indonesia, they also requested information on former mayor Guo Huaping and her brother Wesley, who had been fired.
The PAOCC officials were informed that Wesley had left Indonesia for another “secret” country.
Multiple institutions previously reported that Guo Huaping left the Philippines in July and flew to Malaysia, Singapore, and Batam, Indonesia. Hontiveros had stated that during her departure to Singapore, Guo met with her parents, Guo Jianzhong and Lin Wenyi.
PAOCC officials initially believed that Guo Huaping had entered Indonesia with Guo Xila and others, but her whereabouts could not be found…
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