Philippine mayor accused of ties to Chinese crime syndicates, arrested in Indonesia

Manila [Philipines]September 4 (ANI): Alice Guo, a former mayor of the Philippines accused of having links to Chinese crime syndicates and spying for the Chinese government, was arrested from Indonesia after being on the run since July, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.

The Department of Justice (MOJ) mentioned in a statement that Alice, also known as Guo Hua Ping and a Chinese national, is wanted by the Philippine Senate for refusing to participate in a congressional investigation into her alleged criminal ties to the Chinese underworld.

“This development has been verified by our colleagues at the Immigration Department, who have confirmed that Alice is currently in the custody of the Indonesian police,” the Justice Ministry said in a statement.

Alice, the former mayor of Bamban town, 62 miles north of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, was arrested at 11:58 p.m. this Tuesday in Tangerang City, Jakarta.

In addition, Philippine law enforcement agencies, including the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), filed several money laundering cases against Alice and 35 others before the Department of Justice last month, the Al Jazeera report added.

According to the AMLC, Alice and her co-conspirators laundered more than 100 million pesos, or $1.8 million, from criminal activities.

“The arrest of Alice Guo is a testament to the tireless efforts of our law enforcement agencies and the strength of international cooperation in bringing fugitives to justice,” Justice Secretary Boying Remulla said in a statement quoted in the same Al Jazeera report, according to Philippine news channel ABS-CBN.

The Philippine Senate launched an investigation into their activities in May, two months after a raid on a casino in the town of Bamban revealed what law enforcement officials said were frauds being carried out from a facility built on land partly owned by Mayor Alice.

This discovery sparked a public outcry and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. later ordered a ban on online gambling operators due to suspected links to organized crime, along with a promise to prosecute those who “helped them escape,” according to the Al Jazeera report.

Authorities believe there are several hundred illegal online gambling companies operating fraud centers under the noses of state officials. In addition, Alice, who was removed from office, fled the Philippines in July this year and traveled via Malaysia and Singapore and then to Indonesia using her Philippine passport, the Philippine anti-crime agency said, according to the Al Jazeera report.

In addition, a statement from the Philippine Presidential Communications Office said the President said Alice's arrest should serve as a warning to anyone trying to evade justice, stressing that they should expect the long arm of the law.

The same statement, while congratulating the country's law enforcement agencies, said: “I congratulate all the law enforcement officers who made this arrest possible. The public may not know the details of this mission you conducted.” “But on their behalf, I would like to express my gratitude to you. The Philippines also thanks the Indonesian government for its support in this matter. The close cooperation between our two governments made this arrest possible,” he said. (ANI)