The Philippine National Police (PNP) recently announced the results of their investigation into the case of former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo fleeing overseas, stating that no police or political figures were found to be involved in assisting her escape. This information was officially released by Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino during the Senate budget deliberations.
Previously, Senator Risa Hontiveros had publicly questioned, suggesting that perhaps police officers had assisted Guo in fleeing from the Philippines to Malaysia. However, Tolentino clarified that the internal investigation by the National Police clearly indicated that no PNP members were involved in the incident.
Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada also inquired whether there was evidence of political figures being involved. In response, Tolentino stated that the investigation into Guo's escape process also revealed no clues involving political figures.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has yet to obtain details of the flight by which former Mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, Alice Guo fled to Malaysia, suggesting a regulatory blind spot.
On August 22, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) released a photo of Guo at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, showing her traveling to Singapore on July 21.
During the Senate budget debate, Senator Grace Poe revealed that the Immigration Bureau is seeking assistance from Kuala Lumpur through official channels to verify Guo's flight information. Poe stated, "We currently lack her departure flight number and passenger list, and are entirely dependent on information provided by other countries to track her whereabouts."
Since fleeing to Malaysia in July, Guo was arrested in Indonesia on September 4 and extradited back to the Philippines, where she is currently detained in Pasig City Jail. She has been implicated in the Senate investigation into offshore gaming (POGO) activities, facing multiple legal charges including human trafficking, corruption, tax evasion, money laundering, perjury, and forgery.
During the Senate hearing, Senator Jinggoy Estrada questioned whether Guo used a private plane to depart through a small airport, pointing out that "private runways and small airports not monitored by the Immigration Bureau could become havens for fugitives." Poe also agreed, noting that the current oversight of private airport flights is lax, potentially providing criminals with convenient escape routes.
The case of Guo's escape has temporarily come to a close, but senators have expressed their intention to continue monitoring the case's progress to ensure transparency and fairness in all aspects.
