Overseas hunt for Guo nets sis, Porac Pogo rep
The government’s hunt for Alice Guo yielded two persons who were likewise being linked to the controversies hounding the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac—her sister Sheila Guo and gaming company representative Katherine Cassandra Ong.The two women were taken into custody by Indonesian authorities and deported to the Philippines on Thursday.
Sheila and Ong, the representative of the raided illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hub Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 1 around 5 p.m. via Philippine Airlines Flight PR 540 from Jakarta, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said in a statement.
Both wore face masks and kept their heads bowed low as they were separately accompanied by aviation security officers and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation. From the Naia arrival area, they were whisked into a van that then brought them to the BI central office in Manila.
Following Sheila and Ong’s deportation to the Philippines, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said they found a “definite connection” between the operations of the Pogo hubs in Bamban and Porac, Pampanga.
According to Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the two were “considered illegal aliens by Indonesian immigration as they are wanted in the Philippines.”
“Intelligence information showed that the group was assisted by a Singaporean man who booked their stay in Indonesia,” the BI said.
They were about to leave Batam Island when an Indonesian investigation team from the Directorate of Wasdakim (Indonesia’s Intelligence Division of Immigration) intercepted them and initiated their return to the Philippines, it added.
Tansingco said he immediately ordered the arrest of Sheila Guo for being an illegal alien, while Ong was taken into custody and would be charged by the NBI for “obstruction of justice and violation of immigration law.”
Senate President Francis Escudero initially said Sheila would be staying at the Senate detention facility once the chamber’s sergeant at arms served the arrest warrant against her upon arrival at Naia.
But the Senate sergeant at arms, retired Army Gen. Roberto Ancan, in a message to Escudero, later said that based on an advice from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the NBI would take custody of both women “in order for the agency to file cases against Cassandra and for the [BI] to conduct inquest proceedings against Sheila on immigration charges.”
“Thereafter, the NBI will debrief them. Only thereafter shall they coordinate with the Senate and the House regarding the warrants issued by both houses against them,” Ancan said.
According to Escudero, he instructed Ancan to comply and continue coordinating with the DOJ, NBI, BI and the Philippine National Police “for an orderly and peaceful procedure given the legal quagmire surrounding the two personalities.”
Basis for arrest
Sheila is among the personalities cited in contempt and ordered arrested by the Senate in July for snubbing its hearing on her sister’s alleged ties to a Pogo that was raided in Bamban, Tarlac, for alleged criminal activities.
Ong has been cited in contempt also by the Senate and faces an arrest warrant issued by the House of Representatives.
The House on Thursday issued a new order to take Ong in its custody and have her detained at the Batasan complex for 30 days for failing to attend its hearings on Pogos and their alleged ties to organized crime.
But where is Alice?
Earlier in the day, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, in a statement posted on his Facebook page, said the two women were caught at Mega Mall Batam Center in Riau, Indonesia, on Aug. 20.
“When the two were accosted by Indonesian Immigration, Alice Guo was not with them and was believed to have escaped,” Tulfo said.
He added that Guo’s group entered Indonesia from Singapore via a cruise ship.
“Due to intelligence data sharing, the [BI] wrote to the Indonesian Immigration and requested to keep an eye on the three and if they are caught, they will be immediately informed and turned over to them. On Aug. 20, when Sheila and Cassandra were caught, the Indonesian authorities immediately informed the [BI],” said Tulfo.
Actions in Indonesia
According to Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, Sheila and Ong were arrested through the efforts of the Philippines’ police attaché in Indonesia.
Abalos said he received a report from PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil that Guo’s companions were being held by Indonesian authorities.
“When it was reported that Alice Guo and her companions had left the country, our foreign liaison division immediately got to work and coordinated with our foreign counterparts through our police attaché,” PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in a separate press briefing.
“As to the other personalities, hopefully, we would be able to monitor their movements and we would have them taken into custody by our foreign counterparts, including, of course, Mayor Alice Guo,” she added.
Fajardo said the two were held by authorities in Indonesia on Aug. 21 at 6:45 a.m.
On Monday, Sen. Risa Hontiveros revealed that Alice Guo had left the country for Kuala Lumpur on July 18 using her Philippine passport, then flew to Singapore with her siblings Sheila and Wesley on July 21.
Also part of their group was Ong, who left the Philippines as early as June 11, before an immigration lookout bulletin order was issued against her on Aug. 6.
Tricky issue
Asked about the procedure on canceling the passports of Alice Guo and her companions, Remulla said it would be “tricky” to immediately revoke them despite an order from Malacañang.
“We cannot summarily cancel a passport because it is a document vested with rights,” he said.
“It was not found advisable also to take it summarily because if the passports are canceled immediately, then how can you make them travel back to the country?” Remulla asked.
Once a passport is canceled, he said a travel document will have to be issued, “which would be an admission that they are Filipino citizens.”
“It’s something that’s a little tricky. That’s why we decided to, in our best judgment, just follow the law on the cancellation of passports, which we’ll do later,” Remulla said.
National security issue
On Tuesday, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs to cancel the passports of the Guo siblings and Ong “in the interest of national security.”
Remulla also said that he had directed the BI to file the proper cases and “get to the bottom of it,” particularly how Alice Guo was able to exit the country undetected.
“We cannot lose sight of the objective of how the lookout bulletin was ignored,” Remulla said.
Guo is facing a qualified human trafficking complaint before the DOJ that is still pending for resolution.
Their arrest came a day after the President slammed the corruption behind Guo’s escape from the Philippines and promised that the culprits who helped her flee will be punished “to the fullest extent of the law.” —WITH REPORTS FROM JEROME ANING, JULIE M. AURELIO AND KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING INQ
