Tarlac court issues warrant for her arrest
BY Ashzel Hachero and VICTOR REYES
DISMISSED Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo was turned over yesterday by Indonesian authorities to the Philippines, hours after a Tarlac court issued a warrant for her arrest for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The warrant, issued by Branch 109 of the Tarlac Regional Trial Court, is the first to be officially served at Guo, who is also facing a myriad of other complaints lodged by various Philippine agencies.
“You are hereby commanded to arrest Alice Leal Guo alias Guo Hua Ping, who is/are said to be found in/at David and Jamilla Law Offices, 1785 SLD Building, E. Rodriguez Avenue, Kamuning, Quezon City or elsewhere, and who has/have been charged before me with the offense of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as amended, and violation of Section 3 (H) of RA 3019, and bring him/her/them forthwith before me to be dealt with according to law,” the one-page warrant said.
The court set bail for Guo’s temporary liberty at P90,000 each for the two cases, or a total of P180,000.
As of press time last night, Guo was on her way back to the Philippines, accompanied by Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil. On her arrival, Guo, 34, would be brought to Camp Crame.
No prisoner swap happened.
Indonesian media and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed last Wednesday, hours after Guo had been arrested in Jakarta, that Indonesia had requested a prisoner exchange — Guo for Australian drug suspect Gregor Johan Haas, who was arrested by Philippine authorities last May in Cebu. Haas is wanted by Indonesia for drug smuggling.
Guo’s other sibling, Wesley, has sent surrender feelers, according to lawyer Stephen David, the Guo family’s legal counsel. But David refused to say where Wesley was.
Guo’s arrest last Wednesday came after her supposed sister, Shiela, and supposed business associate Cassandra Li Ong, were nabbed by Indonesian police last week.
The arrest order issued by the Tarlac court stemmed from a complaint filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government against Guo and other Bamban officials over their alleged links to the operation of a POGO hub in the municipality that was raided by the authorities last March.
Guo is facing a human trafficking complaint in relation to the raided POGO hub as well as a money laundering complaint before the Department of Justice.
The Office of the Solicitor General has also filed a petition before the Tarlac RTC to cancel her birth certificate while a quo warranto petition to remove her from her post was also lodged before the Manila RTC.
Last month, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered her dismissed as mayor for grave misconduct.
SMOOTH TURNOVER
Abalos and Marbil flew to Indonesia last Wednesday night “to arrange the details and smooth turnover” of Guo to the Philippine government.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said Abalos and Marbil, along with members of the Philippine contingent, met with officials of the Indonesian National Police-International Division.
Fajardo said Guo was undergoing processing as of yesterday afternoon before her transport back to the Philippines.
“After a long meeting, the Indonesian National Police agreed to release Alice Guo to Secretary Abalos,” Fajardo said.
Fajardo initially said the private plane that would bring Guo to the Philippines was expected to leave Indonesia at 6 p.m. and was due to arrive in the Philippines at 11 p.m. She later said the plane’s departure was delayed.
Fajardo said Guo will disembark at the Royal Star hangar in Pasay City and will be brought to the PNP headquarters at Camp Crame for a medical check-up before being turned over to the Senate, which has also issued a warrant of arrest against her.
“The PNP was tasked to serve the warrant of arrest and we are in possession of the warrant of arrest. That is our basis for why we’re taking her into our custody,” said Fajardo.
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission executive director Gilbert Cruz said he is not aware of an Indonesian proposal for a prisoner swap involving Guo.
Cruz said Indonesian has been requesting the turnover of Haas who is wanted by Indonesia for some time now.
“There is no confirmation it is true. It just came out in the media,” said Cruz, adding he spoke with Indonesian officials last Wednesday and no mention was made of a prisoner swap.
“We only talked about the arrest of Guo and the rescue of Indonesians who we rescued recently during a raid of a POGO (hub) in Lapu-Lapu, Cebu,” said Cruz.
WESLEY GUO
David said Wesley wants to turn himself over to authorities, adding “It is the best thing to do.”
David added Wesley’s surrender is already being worked out but did not elaborate.
“I will not give details but we’re working on it,” he added.
Shiela had earlier said that Wesley is the boyfriend of Li Ong.
Wesley joined Alice and Shiela in escaping from the country last July. He also has a standing warrant of arrest issued by the Senate Committee on Women for his continued refusal to attend the hearings.
The NBI has said that Wesley is actually Guo Xiang Dian based on biometric records. He arrived in the country in 1999.
Indonesian authorities are now focusing their search on Wesley.
BI spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval said Indonesian authorities have pledged to arrest Wesley Guo at the soonest possible time and return him to Manila.
NO DEPORTATION FOR HAAS
The Bureau of Immigration Haas, who was apprehended last May 15 in Bogo, Cebu, needs to face charges in the Philippines and cannot be deported as yet.
“He has a pending case in the Philippines, that’s why he is not for deportation yet,” BI spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval said.
DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said there was no formal request from the Indonesian government about a prisoner exchange.
DOJ Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano also denied the report, saying: “We have not received any official request from Indonesia. What we know are the reports in Indonesian media regarding that, but we haven’t received any request.”
SEEKING EXTENSION
The camp of Guo is seeking more time to file her counter-affidavit on the material misrepresentation case filed against her before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
In a second Motion for Extension of Time to File a Counter-Affidavit, the lawyers of Guo asked the Comelec for an additional period of 15 days to file her counter-affidavit with the Comelec Law Department.
“Premises considered, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable Commission that Respondent Alice Leal Guo be given an extension of time of 15 days from 01 September 2024, or until 16 September 2024, within which to file the required Counter-Affidavit,” said Guo’s legal counsel.
The David Buenaventura Ang & Jamilla Law Office said the second extension is being asked due to the “difficulty of communicating” with Guo.
The motion was sent via a private accredited courier and is dated August 30, or two days prior to the extended deadline given by the Commission.
It was, however, received by the Comelec Law Department only late yesterday, a day after the deadline was extended automatically due to the cancellation of government work since last Monday. — With Ashzel Hachero and Gerard Naval
