A Philippine fugitive former mayor has been arrested in Indonesia after weeks on the lam, according to Manila’s Justice Ministry.
Alice Guo, 33, was taken into custody in Jakarta early Wednesday morning, ending a search that spanned multiple countries. Guo, who previously served as mayor of Bamban, a city of 78,000 in the Philippine province of Tarlac, fled the country in July after multiple charges were brought against her.
Philippine authorities have filed 87 counts of money laundering against Guo and 35 others, related to operations at an online gambling hub in Bamban and Pampanga province. She is also facing human trafficking charges stemming from a raid in Bamban earlier this year.
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Arrest
Indonesian police arrested Guo at a Jakarta hotel at about 1:30 a.m. local time. “Indonesian authorities consider her as an illegal alien,” a Philippine immigration bureau spokesperson told ABS-CBN News.
The spokesperson added, “We sent information that she is a wanted person, with a pending arrest warrant.” Manila and Jakarta are still in talks regarding her potential extradition.
According to the Philippine Justice Department, Indonesian officials want to swap Guo for Australian drug lord Gregor Haas, who has been imprisoned in Manila since May.
Guo’s legal troubles began after a March raid on the compound of an online gambling operation that catered primarily to Chinese nationals. Investigators uncovered evidence of a range of illegal activities, including financial scams and human trafficking.
Following the raid, the Philippine Senate opened an inquiry into Guo’s involvement in the operations. She was twice summoned to attend Senate hearings but failed to appear, leading to a contempt citation in July and an arrest warrant being issued.
Local authorities, along with the Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council, accuse Guo of laundering about 100 million pesos (about $1.8 million) through the illegal enterprises.
Guo fled the Philippines in July, without going through immigration, and reportedly used her Philippine passport to travel through Malaysia and Singapore before arriving in Indonesia in August.
The case has raised questions about how Guo managed to leave the country despite a pending arrest warrant. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said officials found to have assisted in her escape will face charges.
“We will not allow this to prolong the resolution of the case, whose outcome will be a victory for the Filipino people,” Marcos told local media.
Disputed Citizenship
Another point of controversy surrounding Guo is her citizenship. While Guo claims to be a natural-born Filipino, allegations have surfaced that she may be a Chinese national.
During a Senate hearing in May, it was revealed that her live birth registration was not filed until she was 17, raising questions about the legitimacy of her documents. Multiple senators have suggested that Guo might have been operating as a spy for China.
Guo has maintained that she is the daughter of a Chinese citizen and a Philippine domestic helper and was raised on a pig farm in Bamban. She has continued to deny all accusations, calling the charges “malicious” and asserting her innocence.
Her legal team issued a statement emphasizing that she remains innocent until proven guilty.
The case is being closely watched, not only for its high-profile nature but also because it has exposed potential gaps in the Philippines’ security and border control systems.
Newsweek reached out to the Philippine Department of Justice and Indonesian Foreign Ministry with written requests for comment outside of office hours.