Guo sighted in Bulacan; law enforcers urged to arrest mayor in a month

FILE PHOTO: Suspended Bamban Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA,  Philippines— Suspended Bamban Mayor Alice  Guo was last sighted in Bulacan province, at least according to reports received by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

It has been two weeks now since the Senate issued an arrest order against Guo over her repeated failure to participate in the committee on women’s probe into her possible ties with illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).

On Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada’s questioning, NBI Assistant Director Angelito Magno disclosed there were reported sightings of Guo in Bulacan but this was before the issuance of an arrest order against her last July 11.

“We were informed by our assets, prior to the issuance of the warrant of arrest, there are some sightings in Bulacan,” Magno said during the hearing of the Senate committee on women on Monday, July 29.

“However, when the team went to the possible locations of the sightings, as of now, nalaman po natin na wala naman pong nahuli o nakita pa po,” he added.

READ: Alice Guo still in Philippines, says legal counsel

Estrada then pressed law enforcers from NBI and the Philippine National Police about when they could arrest the suspended mayor.

To this, Magno said the NBI will try its best to serve the arrest order “soonest.”

Estrada was unsatisfied.

“If you can’t arrest her within a month baka maapektuhan ang budget ‘nyo?” the senator said.

(If you can’t arrest her within a month, your budget might be affected.)

“Ganun din sa police ‘yan, ‘pag hindi ‘nyo mahanap within a month ‘yan. Dahil we can’t just keep on waiting here. Mahina ang mga intelligence ‘nyo kapag ganun,” he said.

(The same goes for the police, if you can’t find her within a month. Because we can’t just keep waiting here. Your intelligence is weak if that’s the case).

READ: OSG files case to remove Alice Guo as mayor

Estrada wondered why authorities could quickly arrest other individuals but not Guo, who is now a well-known personality.

“You better get your acts together. Kailangang may proper coordination kayo (You should have proper coordination), all our law enforcement agencies,” he stressed.

Before this, Police Colonel Jun Mark Lagare informed the committee that a tracker team had already been formed to look for Guo.

On the part of the Bureau of Immigration, its prosecution and legal assistance section head Homer Arellano reported that Guo remains in the Philippines as of Monday morning.

“Based po sa record namin nasa Pilipinas pa po,” Arellano said, still responding to Estrada.

(Based on our records, [Guo) is still in the Philippines.)