MANILA – The Philippine Senate has ordered the arrest of a small-town mayor, Ms. Alice Guo, after she refused to attend hearings probing her alleged connections with Chinese criminal syndicates. This high-profile case has drawn national attention amid escalating tensions between Manila and Beijing.
The Senate president signed the arrest order on July 12, to be executed by the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms. This followed Ms. Guo’s failure to appear for a second consecutive hearing on July 10, citing stress as her reason for nonattendance.
The Senate investigation was launched in May, following a March raid on a casino in Ms. Guo’s quiet farming town of Bamban. Authorities uncovered scams allegedly being run from a facility situated on land partially owned by the mayor.
Ms. Guo’s lawyer, Mr. Stephen David, stated on July 13 that the mayor’s “physical and mental health condition” prevented her from attending the hearings, attributing her condition to “massive cyberbullying and humiliation.” David expressed hope that she would attend future hearings once her condition improves.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, leading the investigation, asserted on July 13 that the arrest order is the initial step in holding Ms. Guo “accountable to our laws.” The Senate has also ordered the arrest of some of Ms. Guo’s family members for failing to appear at the hearings.
The case has spotlighted criminal activities within the largely Chinese-backed online casino industry in the Philippines. It gained further attention when a senator questioned Ms. Guo’s birthplace, insinuating she might be a Chinese “asset,” an allegation she has denied.
Ms. Guo, who claims to be a natural-born Philippine citizen, has denied any criminal connections and called the accusations against her “malicious.” Her legal team petitioned the Supreme Court on July 10 to nullify the Senate’s summons.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remarked in May, “No one knows her. We wonder where she came from. That’s why we are investigating this, together with the Bureau of Immigration, because of the questions about her citizenship.”
The controversy surrounding Ms. Guo unfolds against a backdrop of increasing Philippine suspicion of China’s actions, particularly amid the ongoing dispute over the South China Sea, where both countries assert territorial claims. The Chinese embassy in Manila did not respond to requests for comments regarding Ms. Guo’s identity and the Senate’s investigation.