Former Philippine Mayor Alice Guo Arrested in Indonesia Amid Organized Crime Allegations

Former Philippine Mayor Arrested in Indonesia Amid Organized Crime Allegations

The case surrounding Alice Guo, a former mayor of Bamban, a small town in the Philippines, has captivated the nation for several months. Accused of collaborating with organized crime syndicates, her situation intensified when questions arose regarding her citizenship status—specifically whether she was born in China. This week, Philippine authorities confirmed that she was apprehended in Indonesia after fleeing the country, and she is now facing extradition back to the Philippines.

In March, law enforcement conducted a raid on an online gambling operation situated in a local office in Bamban, where Guo was still serving as mayor. Authorities claimed that the gambling establishment was merely a facade for a broader spectrum of illicit activities, including online scams and human trafficking.

In May, during a hearing held by Philippine senators, Guo faced intense scrutiny regarding her alleged connections to organized crime. Lawmakers pressed her on whether she had misled authorities about her status as a natural-born citizen—an essential qualification for anyone seeking public office in the Philippines.

As of Thursday, attempts to reach Guo and her legal representative for comments were unsuccessful. However, she has consistently denied any wrongdoing and asserts that she is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines.

The proliferation of online casinos, commonly referred to as Philippine Offshore Gambling Operations (POGOs), has garnered a notorious reputation for being intertwined with organized criminal activities. In July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a comprehensive ban on these operations, highlighting the government’s stance on curbing their influence.

In June, investigators reported that they found Guo’s fingerprints matched those of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping. Nevertheless, they acknowledged that this evidence alone was insufficient to definitively determine her place of origin.