Alice Guo diagnosed with suspected lung infection, says PNP

Former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Leal Guo or Guo Hua Ping  | FILE PHOTO/Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau

MANILA, Philippines — A suspected infection was detected in the left lung of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, according to Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo.

In a chance interview outside the Pasig City Jail on Monday, Fajardo said that Guo underwent a medical examination before leaving the PNP Custodial Facility.

“As a matter of procedure before turning over to BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology), she underwent required medical and physical examination conducted by the PNP General Hospital and the forensic group during the medical examination the doctor found a probable infection in her left lung,” Fajardo told reporters.

“So BJMP upon receiving Alice Guo will now have the disposition on how to treat this possible infection,” she added.

READ: Alice Guo transferred to Pasig City Jail 

The PNP official said the findings would conduct confirmatory tests by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

“The doctor of the PNP General Hospital said that her infection might have developed on Friday and over the weekend,” Fajardo said, speaking partly in Filipino.

“The possible infection was found through her chest X-ray result. She also has a slight cold and she was also coughing earlier,” she added.

READ: Alice Guo ordered moved to Pasig jail; Cassandra Ong to Correctional

Fajardo said this could “probably” be due to stress and fatigue. Last September 20, the former mayor was cleared from the medical examination, but her supposed transfer was postponed due to slight delays in the legal procedure.

BJMP spokesperson Jayrex Bustinera said Guo would temporarily stay at an area where three tuberculosis patients are currently recovering.

“The isolation cell is small only around 10 square meters. The advice of the doctor is to confirm the findings in her X-ray and to undergo Gene-Xpert testing. But for other tests, she was cleared,” Bustinera said in Filipino.

“Gene-Xpert lab test will be administered within the day. This test is made to confirm tuberculosis impression in the X-ray result of Alice Guo. If the result is negative for TB, she will be housed in Cell No. 3 which currently houses 43 persons deprived of liberty (PDL),” he added.

Guo will eventually join 40 other detainees in a cell upon her recovery. Bustinera said Guo was already wearing BJMP pants, a yellow PDL shirt, and a mask.

Around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Guo arrived at the female dormitory of the Pasig City jail. Before that, she was detained at the PNP Custodial Facility for over two weeks.