KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — A former Philippine mayor, currently under investigation for connections to Chinese crime syndicates and linked to two foreigners convicted in Singapore for money laundering, may have been in the Republic for approximately a month.
According to The Straits Times, reports suggest she arrived on July 21 after fleeing the Philippines amid a Senate inquiry.
Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed on August 19 that Alice Guo, the former mayor of Bamban in Tarlac, reportedly travelled to Singapore to visit her parents.
Hontiveros was the first to disclose the mayor’s escape. She cited sources, indicating that Guo’s parents arrived in Singapore from China on July 28.
The Straits Times reported that according to the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration and the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC), Guo first arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 18 before flying to Singapore on July 21.
PAOCC spokesman Winston Casio said on August 19 that Guo, a Chinese national, also known as Guo Hua Ping, arrived in Singapore from Kuala Lumpur on Jetstar Asia.
Flightradar24 showed Jetstar Asia flight 3K686 departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 3.58pm on July 21 and landed at Changi Airport at 4.47pm the same day.
Casio added that Guo was reported to have left via ferry on August 18 for Batam, Indonesia.
The Straits Times spoke to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) about Guo’s trip to Singapore but ICA had only said that she is not in the country.
Guo, who faces multiple criminal charges, is under a Senate arrest warrant in the Philippines for skipping hearings. She was dismissed from office in August for grave misconduct.
The investigation concerns her connections to a now-closed online casino, which is alleged to have been a front for fraudulent operations and other criminal activities.
The paper said Guo established Baofu Land Development, the company linked to the scam compound, in 2019 alongside two individuals convicted in Singapore’s S$3 billion (RM10.05 billion) money laundering case: Chinese nationals Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying.
Zhang, 45, and Lin, 44, each received a 15-month prison sentence in Singapore after pleading guilty to money laundering and forgery charges. Zhang was convicted in April, and Lin in May. The pair were deported to Cambodia on June 15 following the completion of their sentences.
In June, Philippine authorities filed a criminal complaint against Guo, Zhang, Lin, and 11 others for alleged human trafficking activities related to the online casino, also known as a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo).
Despite being registered and licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp, some lawmakers argue that these licensed online gambling operators serve as fronts for scam hubs that exploit human trafficking victims.
According to The Straits Times, despite her connections to the couple, Guo is not a person of interest in the S$3 billion money laundering case. She does not have a formal arrest warrant from a Philippine court and is not listed on Interpol’s Red Notice. Philippine authorities have issued an immigration lookout bulletin order to monitor her movements closely, but it does not prevent her from leaving the country legally.
The Straits Times also noted that Philippine law enforcement agencies did not reach out to the Singapore Police Force for assistance regarding Guo.
According to Reuters yesterday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had said his government was investigating how Guo managed to flee the country. He warned that “heads will roll” a day after he ordered Guo’s Philippine passport cancelled following her escape.