Former Philippine Mayor Suspected of Chinese Espionage Arrested Abroad One Month After Fleeing

A former mayor of a small city in the Philippines, who fled abroad amid suspicions of being a 'Chinese spy,' was arrested in Indonesia.

Alice Guo (35, female), former mayor of Bamban City, Philippines. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media on the 4th (local time), Alice Guo (35, female), former mayor of Bamban City in Tarlac Province on Luzon Island in northern Philippines, was apprehended in Indonesia, the Philippine Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced.

The Department of Justice stated in a press release that Guo was arrested around 1:30 a.m. near Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and is currently in custody of the Indonesian police authorities.

Jaime Santiago, director of the NBI, also confirmed Guo's arrest and said that she will be prosecuted based on the charges raised once she is repatriated to the Philippines.

Philippine authorities are coordinating with Indonesian immigration officials to bring Guo back to the Philippines as soon as possible, and she is expected to be repatriated soon.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos issued a statement saying that they are in talks with Indonesia to bring Guo back to the Philippines within the day. President Marcos said, "This arrest was made possible through close cooperation between the two governments," adding, "We are finalizing an agreement to bring Alice Guo back today," and "This will serve as a warning to those attempting to evade justice."

Guo is suspected of being involved in crimes such as illegal immigration facilitation in collusion with a Chinese-run online gambling den notorious as a 'crime den' in the Philippines. In particular, she is charged with laundering more than 100 million Philippine pesos (approximately 2.38 billion KRW) in proceeds from criminal activities.

Additionally, it was alleged that she entered the Philippines as a Chinese national named Guo Huaping during her teenage years, then 'laundered' her identity to become a Filipino citizen and worked for China. She has been under investigation by the Philippine Senate since May.

After Guo repeatedly failed to comply with the Senate's summons, authorities issued an arrest warrant and suspended her from her mayoral position citing serious legal violations. However, she secretly fled abroad in July, traveling through Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia before being captured this time.