Mayor accused of being China's 'asset' raises alarm

A sleepy city within the Philippines has been thrust into the nationwide highlight after its mayor was accused of being a Chinese language agent.

Bamban is an not easily seen city within the nation's rice-growing areas north of the capital Manila.

Its mayor, Alice Guo, is the image of a younger, busy public servant.

The 35-year-old wears glasses, has lengthy black hair and an open smile. He speaks Tagalog and not using a overseas accent and loves sporting pink in public.

Nothing about her life – she claims she grew up on a pig farm – appeared to boost alarm bells till she was referred to as to testify at a Senate listening to earlier this month.

Regulation enforcement had found that an internet on line casino – recognized domestically as Pogo – of their metropolis was truly a entrance for a fraud middle.

Authorities raided the power final March and rescued practically 700 employees, together with 202 Chinese language nationals and 73 different foreigners who have been compelled to pose as on-line lovers.

Pogo stands for Philippine Offshore Playing Operator, whose prospects additionally embody mainland Chinese language.

These corporations thrived in the course of the time period of Rodrigo Duterte, whose presidency, which resulted in 2022, was marked by shut ties to China.

However beneath present President Ferdinand Marcos, pogos have come beneath scrutiny after it was found that a few of them have been getting used as a entrance for human trafficking and on-line fraud.

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It was found that she owned half of the land the place the pogo stood instantly behind her workplace. She claims she offered the property earlier than operating for mayor two years in the past.

A video of the practically eight-acre web site confirmed it contained a grocery retailer, a warehouse, a swimming pool and even a wine cellar. Fraud middle workers labored at rows of lengthy, white tables with computer systems.

It was additionally found that Ms. Guo had a helicopter and a Ford Expedition registered in her identify, however these, just like the land, have been offered way back, she claims.

After the Senate listening to, Senator Risa Hontiveros questioned whether or not Ms. Guo was an “asset” of China as a result of her “opaque” solutions to questions on her private and enterprise background.

Late Thursday, President Marcos weighed in on rising considerations over Ms. Guo's case.

“No person is aware of her. We marvel the place she comes from, so we’re investigating the matter along with the immigration division due to the questions on her citizenship,” Mr. Marcos instructed reporters late on Thursday.

Ms. Guo instructed lawmakers she was “not a coddler, not a protector of pogos.”

Little is thought about their background, which is uncommon in rural Philippines, the place native officers are sometimes linked to political dynasties. She is simply in her first time period as an elected official.

The electoral fee mentioned she registered to vote in Bamban in 2021, a yr earlier than she ran and received for mayor.

Her surname Guo can be not one of many widespread surnames of Filipinos of Chinese language descent. Though the Philippines and China have been colonized by Spain, they keep deep cultural ties as a result of centuries of commerce. Actually, the nation is dwelling to the oldest Chinatown on the earth.

Below questioning by senators, Ms Guo admitted that her delivery certificates was not registered with native authorities till she was 17. She mentioned this was as a result of she was born in a home and never a hospital or clinic. She was unable to offer any additional data.

She mentioned she was taught solely at dwelling on the household property, the place pigs have been additionally raised. Nonetheless, she couldn’t bear in mind the identify of her homeschool group and solely talked about one in all her academics.

She mentioned her father was Filipino, however enterprise information recognized her father as a Chinese language nationwide.

“Many individuals ask: Who’s Alice Guo?” she mentioned in a 2022 marketing campaign speech, in keeping with Manila broadcaster GMA Information.

“I’m Alice Guo from Bamban. My mom is Filipina, my father is Chinese language,” she mentioned in Tagalog.

Ms. Hontiveros was amongst those that questioned Ms. Guo about her delivery and schooling particulars. When she pressed the mayor to offer extra particulars, the one response she obtained was, “I’ll get again to you.”

“I’m very disturbed by how opaque Guo's solutions have been, particularly her background,” Ms. Hontiveros instructed reporters.

“Are Mayor Alice and people with mysterious backgrounds working as property for China? “Are they settled in our nation in order that they will affect Philippine politics,” she mentioned.

“It's exhausting to imagine Bamban Mayor Alice Guo when she at all times solutions 'I don't know' to our questions and she will't even bear in mind the place she lived,” mentioned Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, additionally on the Listening to attended.

Ms. Guo has not commented on the espionage allegation and has largely prevented media interviews since her Senate look final week.

Mr. Marcos mentioned the investigation towards Ms. Guo was aimed toward stopping foreigners from holding public workplace within the nation. He mentioned the Philippines “doesn’t essentially have only one nation in thoughts.”

“We’ll step up regulation enforcement. The legal guidelines are there, the issue is that some individuals assume these individuals can usher in cash or they’re being bribed,” Mr. Marcos mentioned.

The Election Fee and the Lawyer Normal are investigating Guo's case to find out whether or not she held public workplace unlawfully. If confirmed, she might be faraway from her put up.