Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz shares to the media this undated photo, which, he says , shows dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (August 22, 2024 photo from PAOCC Usec. Gilbert Cruz)
MANILA, Philippines – Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo, with real name Guo Hua Ping, went to a resort in Zambales long before the Senate ordered her arrest in July.
Raymond Ronquillo, owner of Emon Pulo Beach Resort, confirmed on Thursday that Guo went to the resort in March, 2023. She was with about 20 other guests, who were brought to the resort by a chopper, according to the resort owner.
“Ms. Alice Guo po went to Emon Pulo. I don’t know kung business transaction po yan. She went March 2023,” Ronquillo, said during the hearing of Senate subcommittee on justice and human rights.
But since he was working in Manila at that time, Ronquillo said he did not personally meet the former mayor as he only endorsed her and other guests to their staff there.
“Nag resort lang po sila, nag swimming and then nag land din po yung helicopter nila doon and then siguro po mga dalawa o tatlong balik po yung helicopter with mga bisita po nila,” Rongquillo said.
(They just went to the resort, went swimming, and then their helicopter landed there as well. The helicopter probably made two or three trips back and forth with their guests.)
Hontiveros surmised it was the same chopper of Guo, which was mentioned in the past hearings of the Senate committee on women.
The senator then proceeded to ask if Guo’s group paid for their stay in the resort.
“Honestly po meron po isang guy kasi yung business ko po sa buying and selling cars, sya po yung tumawag sa akin and then yun nga po sinabi nya po sa akin na pupunta nga po itong si Mayora Alice Guo so en-endorsed ko lang po ito sa staff ko po doon,” the resort owner said.
(Honestly, there was a guy who called me because my business involves buying and selling cars. He told me that Mayor Alice Guo would be coming, so I just passed this information along to my staff there.)
READ: Gatchalian warns: Guo family members are ‘professional swindlers’
“Hanggang ngayon po honestly hindi pa po sila nagbabayad po sa akin dun po sa bill nila,” he added.
(Honestly, they still haven’t paid me for their bill up to now.)
Ronguillo later identified the person who called him as a certain JP Samson.
The resort was dragged into the Senate probe following the reported sighting there of Guo last July 14, or just a day after the Senate ordered her arrest.
The reported sighting was mentioned by Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission spokesperson Winston John Casio during last week’s hearing of the subcommittee.
“Nililinaw lang po namin na hindi po talaga nagpunta po dun si Alice,” he stressed.
(We’re just clarifying that Alice didn’t actually go there.)
The Senate has ordered the arrest of the former mayor after her repeated failure to face the committee on women’s investigation into her alleged links to Philippine offshore gaming operator hub in her town.
Guo is now under the Philippine custody following her arrest in Indonesia on Sept. 4.