MANILA, Philippines — Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo has always exhibited a calm and happy demeanor, which is often gleaned on social media.
But at the House of Representatives quad committee, Guo appeared to lose her cool and showed a different side when Davao Oriental 2nd District Rep. Cheeno Almario presented a video documentary from foreign news outlet Al Jazeera about Chinese spy She Zhijang.
In the video, She Zhijang claimed that he funneled funds to Guo Hua Ping — believed to be Guo’s true Chinese identity — for her election campaign in the Philippines. The same documentary showed Guo’s alleged hometown in Fujian, China, which sat close to a Chinese Communist Party office.
Almario then highlighted that this was already a different investigation involving Guo.
“So Mr. Chair, I’d like to point out to this committee that even if we have been making our own research, pulling up our own inquiries, this is another source from a completely different party, and is unrelated to what we do,” Almario said. “Pero nagkataon that the person named She Zhijang trusted with encrypted files showed to Al Jazeera that there is a dossier confirming that there are Chinese spies all over […] Here also in the Philippines, and undoubtedly shows Guo Hua Ping.
“Mr. Chair, again, we were told, kanina nagtanong tayo kung lumaki ba si Ma’am Alice dito sa Pilipinas, kung dito ba siya pinanganak […] she first said na dito raw siya lumaki which is false, because paaano malalaman or ma-identify ng mga tao do’n mismo sa address sa Fujian na nakilala nila si Alice Guo o Guo Hua Ping as anak ni Lin Wen Yi no’ng pinakita nila ‘yong picture ni Guo Hua Ping?” he added.
(Earlier, we asked whether Ma’am Alice grew up in the Philippines and if she was born here. She initially stated that she grew up here, which is false. How would people at her address in Fujian recognize Alice Guo, or Guo Hua Ping, as the daughter of Lin Wen Yi when they showed a picture of Guo Hua Ping?)
Guo was seen sneering while Almario was talking, shaking her head several times.
Her replies, too, were different from her usual claims of not remembering details and refusing to answer questions to avoid self-incrimination.
“Your Honor, ‘yung She Zhijang na sinasabi niyo po, ‘yon ba ‘yong pinakita niyo po kanina sa akin sa picture? Hindi ko po siya kilala at sana po, your Honor, Mr. Chair, makuha ko rin po ‘yong details gusto ko pong magdemanda, hindi ko po sila kilala,” Guo said.
(Your Honor, the She Zhijang you mentioned, is that the person you showed me in the picture earlier? I don’t know him, and I hope, Your Honor, Mr. Chair, to obtain those details because I want to file a lawsuit; I don’t know them.)
“Hindi natin madedemanda, Ms. Alice, dahil kasi (We cannot file a lawsuit because) he’s in jail in Thailand, and the reason why he’s speaking the truth now is because as he was saying in the video […] is that he is also being illegally detained. Kaya sa galit niya, he wants to speak the truth out to the world,” Almario replied. “What does he have to lose?”
“Your Honor, unfair naman po para sa akin, hindi ko po siya kilala at never po ako humingi ng campaign funds entirely. Never po ako humingi ng campaign fund during my campaign period, and ‘yong video na pinakita ni Congressman Cheeno kanina, hindi ko po siya kilala at gusto ko rin po iparating sa lahat ng mga kababayan ko at buong Pilipinas na rin po, mahal ko po ang Pilipinas,” Guo added.
(Your Honor, this is unfair to me. I don’t know him, and I have never requested campaign funds entirely. I never sought campaign funding during my campaign period, and regarding the video shown by Congressman Cheeno earlier, I don’t know him either. I also want to convey to all my fellow citizens and the entire Philippines that I love this country.)
PBA party-list Rep. Margarita Nograles meanwhile noticed that Guo had been emotional and agitated after discussing She Zhijang’s claims as the former mayor’s responses departed from her usual sweet tone.
“Because you’re saying na hindi mo kilala at idedemanda mo, ano naman mabe-benefit din nitong si She Zhijang to name you?” Nograles asked.
(Because you’re saying you don’t know him but plan to file a lawsuit, what benefit would She Zhijang gain from naming you?)
“Your Honor, I think it’s better for you to ask him kasi siya po ‘yong naglabas ng video so siya po ang nakaka-alam kung ano ang makakapag-benefit sa kanya, definitely hindi po ako spy,” Guo said.
(Your Honor, I think it’s better for you to ask him, as he is the one who released the video and knows what benefits he might gain from it. I can assure you, I am definitely not a spy.)
“Okay, relax ka lang […] bakit ka galit (Just relax. Why are you angry)?” Nograles asked again.
According to Nograles, Guo did not have to be riled up in these discussions.
“Galit po ako eh, kasi po ganito rin ‘yong nangyari last time, sinasabi po nila spy ako, mahal ko po ang Pilipinas, Filipino po ako, hindi po ako spy,” Guo said.
(I’m angry because this is what happened last time; they said I was a spy. I love the Philippines. I am Filipino; I am not a spy.)
“Relax ka lang, you don’t have to be so riled up if you know the truth, right?” Nograles countered.
Guo faced the quad committee for the second time, as the four panels continued their probe into the illegal activities inside Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo).
Guo has maintained several times that she was not linked to the Pogo in Bamban, but the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) accused her of having business interests in Baofu, which owns the land where the raided Pogo sits.
DILG said Baofu, as represented by Guo who was president of the company, purchased eight parcels of land in Bamban last February 2019.
Guo claims to have divested ownership of Baofu when she ran for mayor, but DILG believes the amount she divested it for — P2.5 million — was “grossly incongruent to her investment on Baufo which is approximately eight hectares of land.”
This issue became the basis of cases against Guo, for which she was placed on preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman.