After the cancellation of the passport of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) expects that a warrant of arrest would be issued by Interpol to bring the former mayor back to the Philippines.
Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo (Photo from Senator Risa Hontiveros’ Facebook page)
Speaking at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Wednesday, Aug. 21, PAOCC spokesperson Dr. Winston John Casio said that it is possible for Guo to still be deported to the Philippines even with the lack of an extradition treaty.
“So, pagna-cancel na po ang mga pasaporte ng mga ito (when we cancel their passports), the primary requirement of travel, which will be the passport, would be lost to them,” he explained.
“Pag nagkaganun na po eh mati-trigger na po ‘yung tinatawag nating blue notice at red notice ng Interpol (Once that happens, it would trigger what we call the blue notice and red notice of the Interpol). That would allow the law enforcement agencies sa lugar na iyon (in those places) to arrest them and transfer them to the Philippines,” he added.
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros, who led the committee hearings that looked into Guo’s citizenship and connection to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), revealed earlier this week that Guo had already left the country as early as July 18.
The PAOCC confirmed the dismissed mayor traveled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia before going to Singapore, and she is now in Indonesia.
Casio discussed that an extradition process can only be activated if the Philippines has a treaty with the country where Guo is. However, he assured that even without the treaty, the cancellation of Guo’s passport will trigger the Interpol’s red notice, or the international arrest warrant.
“So, there are many legal avenues available to the Philippine government to make sure that it would be able to account for her crimes in the country,” he added.
Although he refused to give details about the government’s current investigations into Guo’s escape, the PAOCC official accused that someone might have helped her leave.
“It may be a matter of may tumulong or may nagpabaya (someone helped or it’s a neglect of duty),” he noted.
Casio confirmed that “several agencies within our task group have been conducting the investigation asking different agencies and getting as many leads as we can.”
“In the next few days, we have to come up with a definite and a concrete answer as to how she was able to get out of the country. Otherwise, we will be a laughing stock of our ASEAN neighbors,” he added.
Guo is facing a qualified trafficking complaint at the Department of Justice (DOJ) over her alleged ties with the raided POGOs in Bamban.
The Office of the President earlier ordered the cancellation of her passport, and that of her siblings, Wesley Guo and Sheila Guo, and businesswoman Cassandra Ong.