There is no official request yet from the Indonesian government regarding the prisoner swap involving dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, or Guo Hua Ping, and Australian drug trafficker Gregor Johann Haas, who is wanted in Indonesia, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said Thursday, Sept. 5.
In a interview with ANC’s Headstart, PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said that the Indonesian government has not yet requested for Haas’ extradition.
“Una (First), as of last night, wala pang official request ang (there is no official request by the) Indonesian government as the supposed prisoner swap,” the official shared.
His remarks came amid media reports in Indonesia that Manila and Jakarta were negotiating to swap Guo, who was arrested in Indonesia on Tuesday, for Haas.
“Parang nag-report pa lang ay yung (The one that reported it was the) Indonesian media,” Casio said.
“So, there may be credence to that but until such time that we receive an official request from the Indonesian government, we will just treat it as a media story,” he added.
But in case Indonesia makes a formal request, the PAOCC explained that there won’t be a problem “because that person (Haas) was apprehended in Bogo City in Cebu province for an actual red notice galing sa (from the) Interpol and the red notice emanated from Indonesia.”
Guo, who is accused of ties to criminal syndicates and money-laundering, was arrested in a hotel in the city of Tangerang in Indonesia, and is now in the custody of the Indonesian authorities.
She is also wanted by the Senate for refusing to appear before a congressional investigation into the alleged criminal ties.
On Thursday, Sept. 5, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rommel Marbil arrived in Jakarta with the intention to fetch Guo.