Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo with NBI agents (Photo released by NBI)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said no swapping took place in retrieving dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo from Indonesia.
His statement comes after Indonesian media reported that Manila and Jakarta were negotiating to swap Guo for Gregor Johann Haas, an Australian wanted by Jakarta, who was arrested in Bogo City in Cebu in May for alleged drug smuggling.
READ: PH, Indonesia discuss swap of Guo with wanted Aussie
“No swap happened. No swap,” said Marcos in a chance interview with Palace reporters in Antipolo, Rizal.
“Because lumabas sa isang article sa Indonesia na dapat mag-swap pero hindi official yun. So, no,” he repeated.
(Because it appeared in an article in Indonesia that there would be a swap, but that is not official. So, no.)
However, Marcos said retrieving Guo, whose real name is Guo Hua Ping, was far from simple.
“We were negotiating very intricate, very sensitive, and very delicate details for the last… what… maybe 48 hours. Kinakausap natin ang mga kaibigan sa Indonesia,” the president recalled.
(We were negotiating very intricate, very sensitive, and very delicate details for the last, what, maybe 48 hours. We are talking with friends in Indonesia.)
Marcos said thanks in part to his close relationship with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, they were still able to successfully return Guo to the Philippines.
“Napakiusapan naman natin ang mga kaibigan natin sa Indonesia na pabayaan na ang Pilipinas na kunin na siya at iuwi na siya dito sa Pilipinas,” he said.
(We have asked our friends in Indonesia to let the Philippines take her and bring her home to the Philippines.)
Guo escaped with her supposed sibling Wesley Guo, along with Sheila Guo — previously tagged as Alice’s sister — and her business associate Cassandra Li Ong in July amid ties with illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.
Sheila and Ong were then arrested in August.
Shiela had been detained in the Senate, while Ong had been jailed in the House of Representatives.
Alice, meanwhile, was finally brought back to the country through a chartered private plane in Pasay City at 1:10 am on Friday.