‘200 Alice Guos’: fugitive Philippine mayor’s case stokes fears of Chinese infiltration

Her case has exposed numerous vulnerabilities to foreign actors in the country’s legal and administrative systems, observers warn

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Alice Leal Guo, the fugitive mayor of Bamban. Her case appears to be just the tip of the iceberg. Photo: Facebook/AliceLealGuo

Published: 8:00am, 24 Jul 2024Updated: 1:19pm, 24 Jul 2024

They could be neighbours, local officials, even elected leaders – but in reality, they may be foreign spies or criminals masquerading as Filipinos, hidden in plain sight.

That is the disturbing warning from Philippine officials and analysts as the government moves to implement a full ban on offshore gaming operators, an industry that has become a magnet for Chinese nationals engaged in a litany of illicit activities.

The case of Alice Guo, a fugitive mayor accused of being a Chinese spy, highlights the depth of this systemic vulnerability. “The idea that fake Filipinos can run for office, buy properties and firearms is disturbing, especially now that we are witnessing malign influence activities in the Philippines,” said Sherwin Ona, a visiting fellow at the Institute for National Defence and Security Research in Taiwan.

The alarm only grew louder on Monday when President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr announced a ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) during his state of the nation address, condemning the industry’s ties to “financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture, even murder”.

With Guo still at large and the authorities uncovering hundreds of falsified birth certificates belonging to Chinese nationals, officials warn this could be scratching the surface – a troubling glimpse into how foreign actors have exploited the country’s legal and administrative vulnerabilities to burrow deep within Filipino society.

A screen shows a live gambling platform run by an online gaming operator in the Philippines. Photo: Tory Ho

Guo, the fugitive mayor of Bamban in Tarlac province, has repeatedly ignored subpoenas to testify before the Senate. Her known assets have been frozen and the Supreme Court has issued a warrant for her arrest – though authorities do not know her current whereabouts.