Philippine senator does not rule out ex-mayor Alice Guo as Chinese spy

A Philippine senator leading an investigation into a former mayor’s alleged ties to Chinese criminal gangs said Friday she would not rule out her possible involvement in espionage.

Alice Guo, who ran for mayor of Bamban as a Filipino but is also known as the Chinese Guo Hua Ping, is facing criminal charges including corruption for allegedly abusing her power to allow offshore gambling to flourish in her city.

“I am not yet prepared to conclude that she is not involved, or that the people associated with her are not involved in espionage,” Senator Risa Hontiveros told foreign correspondents.

A Senate committee headed by Hontiveros launched an investigation into Guo in May after a raid on a casino in Bamban, Tarlac province, uncovered fraud that law enforcement officials said was conducted from a building on land partly owned by her.

In previous hearings, Hontiveros had asked Guo if she was an “asset” for China. Guo, who maintains she is a natural-born Filipino citizen, has denied being a spy and other allegations against her, calling them malicious.

Her case has gripped the Philippines at a time when suspicions are mounting over China’s activities following an escalation of disputes in the South China Sea, where the two countries have overlapping claims.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila and Guo’s lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Hontiveros’ remarks.

A court postponed Guo’s scheduled arraignment on Friday while it rules on her request to have the case dismissed. She arrived in court wearing a mask and ballistic helmet.

Guo, who has been mayor of Bamban since 2022, was removed from her post last month by the Ombudsman for serious misconduct. She also faces a money laundering complaint with the Ministry of Justice.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called on Guo to reveal how online gambling companies targeting customers in China, where gambling is illegal, have expanded into criminal organizations.

Before the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, better known as POGOs, were banned in the Philippines, China had called on Manila to ban online gambling to support its own crackdown on cross-border gambling.

“In the case of the rise of POGOs and people like Guo Hua Ping, we have seen numerous and close links with transnational criminal gangs that have victimized not only our own citizens here in the Philippines, but also citizens from all over the world,” Hontiveros said.

“It’s bigger than the Philippines,” Hontiveros said, adding that the Senate investigation is “just beginning.”

Alice Guo, also known as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, a fugitive former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac province, attends a Senate hearing in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, September 9, 2024. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File photo