MANILA – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Thursday announced two companions of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo who left the country in July are detained in Indonesia.
In a press briefing on the sidelines of the Local Governance Summit 2024 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, Abalos identified the two as Guo’s sister, Shiela, and Cassandra Li Ong.
Ong is a representative of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub Lucky South 99 in Pampanga, which was raided by authorities last month.
“Pinapa-check ko pa ito. It only shows na talagang seryoso rito ang kapulisyahan. Yes, it is (through the effort of) our police attache in Indonesia. Yun po ang report sa akin kagabi ni Chief (Philippine National Police Gen. Rommel) Marbil (I am having this checked. It only shows the our police are serious on this matter. This is based on the report of PNP Chief Marbil to me last night),” Abalos said.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, meanwhile, confirmed that Shiela and Ong were arrested in Indonesia on Wednesday morning.
“As to the other personalities, our coordination with foreign counterparts. Hopefully, we would be able to monitor their movements and we would have them taken into custody by our foreign counterparts, including of course, Mayor Alice Guo,” Fajardo said in a press conference at Camp Crame.
The PNP is still gathering more details on this matter, Fajardo said.
The dismissed mayor, her siblings Wesley and Sheila, and their parents have a standing arrest order issued by the Senate for their refusal to appear in the ongoing investigation into the operations of the Zun Yuan Technology Inc., the POGO hub in Bamban which was raided by authorities in March.
The investigation also led to questions on the nationality of the dismissed mayor, after the Philippine authorities revealed that her fingerprints matched that of a certain Chinese national identified as Guo Hua Ping.
The Bureau of Immigration earlier said the dismissed mayor might have left the country without passing through the required checks of Philippine immigration authorities.
It was reported that Guo left for Malaysia on July 19, arrived in Singapore on July 21, and traveled to Indonesia on Aug. 18.
On Tuesday, Malacañang ordered the Departments of Foreign Affairs and of Justice to cancel the Philippine passports of the mayor, her siblings, and Ong.
Quiboloy still in PH
In the same interview, Abalos assured that the PNP and other law enforcement agencies would make sure that fugitive Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy would be unable to leave the country.
“We assure you that we are looking for Pastor Quiboloy. Based on our report, he is still in the Philippines. Ginagawa po namin lahat, makikita ninyo naman na ang mga pulis ay talagang may order po yan na tingnan sa bawat sulok sa buong Pilipinas (We are doing everything, as you can see, the cops are looking everywhere and there is an order to look him in every corner of the whole Philippines),” he added.
Quiboloy is the subject of two arrest warrants for cases relating to human trafficking and abuse of children.
The DILG, meanwhile, stood firm on the offering of a cash reward and the conduct of operations for the arrest of Quiboloy.
In a separate statement, the agency said the enforcement of warrants of arrest and the PHP10 million bounty offered by private citizens are necessary to compel Quiboloy to face the serious charges filed against him. (PNA)