Photos of Philippine officials smiling with wanted ex-mayor Alice Guo after arrest draws online ire
MANILA, Sept 6 — Filipinos expressed outrage on social media after photos surfaced of Philippine government officials and law enforcement agents casually posing with fugitive former mayor Alice Guo while processing her deportation from Indonesia.
Critics have condemned the images as a mockery of the Filipino people, especially since Guo had evaded law enforcement by fleeing to Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
“Never mind that Alice Guo escaping overseas is symbolic of their own failure,” wrote historian Kristoffer Pasion on X, sharing the controversial photos.
Guo, the former mayor of Bamban, has been linked to alleged criminal activities involving Chinese gaming syndicates operating offshore of the Philippines as well as human trafficking, tax fraud and laundering criminal proceeds totalling 100 million pesos.
She was arrested by Indonesian authorities on September 3 and sent back to the Philippines, arriving at 1am today to face an ongoing Senate investigation and charges.
She was escorted by Philippne Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” de Castro Abalos Jr and Philippine National Police Chief Rommel Francisco Marbil, who had flown to Jakarta on a chartered flight.
Social media erupted when photos emerged of Guo smiling and giving a peace sign at the Indonesian police headquarters, despite facing two arrest warrants.
She was not handcuffed during the deportation process, which included a group photo taken by an NBI agent inside the car transporting her to the airport.
Filipino social media users expressed disgust, comparing the situation to the harsh treatment of activist Reina Mae Nasino in 2020.
In response, Abalos said that Guo requested to meet him and Marbil to discuss alleged death threats against her.
“I told her not to worry about these death threats. What’s important now is that she tells the truth. She should not be afraid,” he was quoted as saying by Singapore-based The Straits Times.
He reportedly affirmed that he had requested the group photo with Guo and Marbil.
Guo was reported saying that she was smiling in Jakarta because she “felt safe” around the officials.
She was handcuffed and had her mugshots taken upon arrival in the Philippines.