On May 21, 2025, the Department of Justice building in the Philippines witnessed a "heavyweight confrontation": Guo Congyuan's son Guo Rongxian, suspect Gong Wenli, and former Pangban City Mayor Guo Huaping appeared on the same day for hearings in different cases, creating a rare scene that attracted high social attention.
Guo Congyuan's kidnapping case continued to ferment, and his son Guo Rongxian, accompanied by his lawyer, formally submitted a sworn statement to the Department of Justice. According to his legal representative, Pearlito Campanilla, the document was detailed, disclosing the entire process from Guo Congyuan's kidnapping to the confirmation of his body, especially including the "complex and time-consuming" ransom negotiation details, which are one of the important pieces of evidence for initiating prosecution.
Guo Rongxian himself is also one of the six individuals the prosecution has suggested for further investigation. Regarding this, lawyer Campanilla clarified: "This statement explains how he repeatedly demanded the kidnappers to provide evidence that the hostage was still alive during the negotiations, showing no involvement with the case." He also added that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has now excluded Guo Rongxian from the suspects.
Campanilla also confirmed that his client has formally submitted a motion to the Department of Justice, requesting the revocation of the "suggested investigation subject" status. Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon responded that the motion would be merged with the whole case for review by the prosecution team.
On the same day, another highly watched suspect, Gong Wenli, appeared at the Department of Justice for the first time under police escort, wearing an orange T-shirt, a mask, and handcuffed. She is charged as one of the co-conspirators in the Guo Congyuan kidnapping case, arrested on Long Beach Island with hairstylist Wu Jiabing, and her current detention location is undisclosed. After the hearing, she did not respond to media questions and was taken back to the detention center.
Meanwhile, Guo Huaping also arrived at the Department of Justice under strict police protection to attend the preliminary hearing regarding her charges of tax evasion, forgery, and corruption. She wore a bulletproof vest and looked serious. Lawyer Nicole Jamilla revealed that Guo's side had submitted defense documents for the three cases, denying all charges and stating "there was no forgery or illegal profit."
According to information previously released by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the National Bureau of Investigation, Guo Huaping is accused of evading taxes of 500,000 pesos, involving three false sales contract documents, and also charged with irregularly issuing permits during her tenure as mayor. She is currently involved in at least three ongoing court cases, involving human trafficking, corruption, and identity fraud.
Thus, the Department of Justice became a media focal point on May 21, with three key figures of the Guo family—a deceased's relative, a suspected mastermind, and a controversial politician—appearing almost simultaneously in the same building, sparking public debate. Netizens sarcastically commented: "This is like the Philippines' 'National Public Enemy Gathering Day'."
Regarding why multiple cases were scheduled on the same day, the Department of Justice has not yet officially responded, but the explosive news earlier that day may provide clues to this coincidental timing—whether there is a larger interest connection and intersection behind the cases, which is causing speculation among all parties.
The Guo Congyuan case is still under thorough investigation, and the police stated they would continue to investigate whether Gong Wenli, Yang Jianmin, and another unidentified suspect are the masterminds, calling on the public to provide more clues to assist in solving the case. As lawyer Campanilla said: "No family should endure such atrocities, and all the guilty must be brought to justice."
