Alice Guo foregoes reelection bid to focus on clearing name

Metro Manila, Philippines – Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is no longer seeking reelection, contrary to her lawyer’s earlier statement.

“Haharapin ko po muna yung mga accusations sa akin,” Guo said in a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

“Linisin ko muna yung sarili ko po para maging fair din po sa mga constituents ko,” she added.

[Translation: I will first face the accusations against me. I need to clear my name so that it will be fair to my constituents as well.]

Guo’s lawyer, Stephen David, previously said that the former mayor would file her certificate of candidacy, adding that she is still eligible to run since she has not been convicted in any of her pending cases. These include graft, money laundering, and human trafficking related to illegal offshore gaming operations.

During the 15th hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality on illegal offshore gaming operations, Alice Guo, who was previously identified as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, again denied allegations that she is a Chinese spy.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the committee, shared her office’s interview with Chinese whistleblower Wang Fugui, a former inmate of gambling tycoon and self-confessed Chinese spy She Zhijiang. As first shown in an Al Jazeera documentary, Wang claims that She entrusted him with top-secret documents, which include records of Guo as a Chinese state security agent.

“Para sa ’kin po, kailangan niya po siguro ng media mileage, baka may iba siyang motibo pero ako hindi po ako spy [For me, maybe he just needs media mileage or has other motives, but I am not a spy,” Guo said.

Hontiveros acknowledged that Wang and She may have their own agenda, but said their claims cannot be dismissed, especially since She’s travel records indicate he has “deep ties” in the Philippines.

Senator Win Gatchalian said She traveled to the Philippines 21 times between 2011 to 2010. She is now imprisoned in Taiwan for crimes related to illegal online gambling.

Meanwhile, a certain Ma Dong Li, believed to be the handler of both She and Guo, had been in the Philippines 37 times from 1995 to 2019, Gatchalian said.

The Senate wants to speak to She to shed light on the issue, including the allegation that he also has the files of a brother of Michael Yang, who previously served as economic adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte.