Katherine Cassandra Ong and Shiela L. Guo, the sister of dismissed Mayor Alice L. Guo of Bamban town in Tarlac, will be repatriated to the Philippines following their arrest in Indonesia, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said on Thursday, Aug. 22.
Remulla reacted to the announcement of Local Government Secretary Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos Jr. that Cassandra and Shiela have been arrested in Indonesia.
He said "we have the suspicion that their passports were fraudulently acquired." Thus, he said "we have reason to make them come back."
The dismissed mayor is one of the shareholders of Baofu Corporation that leased a property to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Bamban which was raided by authorities due to alleged criminal activities.
Cassandra is one of the incorporators of Whirlwind Corporation which also leased a property in Porac, Pampanga to a POGO that was also raided for alleged criminal activities.
“It proves the connection between Bamban and Porac operations,” Remulla said.
The Philippine government has received information that Alice has fled the Philippines and is now in Indonesia with her two siblings, Shiela and Wesley, and Cassandra.
President Marcos had ordered the cancelation of their passport and vowed that heads will roll for having allowed Alice and her companions flee the Philippines despite the issuance of an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) and a Senate order for the arrest of the dismissed mayor.
But Remulla said that their their passports cannot be immediately canceled. "We cannot summarily cancel a passport because it is a document vested with rights,” he explained.
“It was not found advisable also to treat it summarily because if the passports are canceled immediately then how can you make them travel back to the country,” he added.
He also reminded that their Philippine citizenships are being questioned.
“You will have to issue a travel document which should be an admission that they are Filipino citizens,” explained Remulla in the event their passports get canceled.
“It’s something that is a little tricky that’s why to our best judgment we just follow the law on the cancelation of passports which will do later,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Remulla assured that the investigation still continues to determine how the dismissed mayor managed to slip out of the Philippines.