MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has notified the Interpol regarding the case of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
This was revealed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros during a press conference on Wednesday, where she stated that Guo, her siblings Wesley and Shiela, and Porac-based Lucky South representative Cassandra Ong have been reported by the DFA to the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime and Interpol.
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"Nagsisimula nang lumiit talaga ang mundong ginagalawan nina Guo Hua Ping at ng pamilya niya dahil hindi lamang sa Philippine government kundi pati Interpol ay may official na pagpapansin na sa kanila," Hontiveros said.
(The world that Guo Hua Ping and his family live in is truly starting to shrink, not just because of the Philippine government but also because Interpol has officially started paying attention to them.)
The senator added that this allows Interpol to determine the appropriate course of action in response to the Philippines' request.
As of writing, the DFA has yet to comment on Hontiveros’ statement.
Hontiveros, who led the Senate panel that investigated the alleged crimes of the Philippine offshore gaming operators, made the revelation two days after disclosing that the embattled former mayor had left the country undetected, despite an immigration lookout bulletin issued against her.
She also revealed that Guo used a Philippine passport to leave the country. On Tuesday afternoon, the Bureau of Immigration confirmed that the dismissed mayor is currently in Indonesia.
In response, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin directed the DFA and the Department of Justice to take “appropriate action” to cancel Guo’s passport.
In a message to Philstar.com on Wednesday morning, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said that the agency now has the basis to cancel the dismissed mayor’s passport without needing a court order, as requested by the executive secretary.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also ordered an investigation into Guo’s departure, stating that the government will expose those who aided her escape.
“Heads will roll...There is no room in this government for anyone who places personal interest above serving the Filipino people with honor, integrity, and justice,” Marcos said in a statement on Wednesday morning.
Philstar.com has also reached out to the Department of Justice for comment on the DFA’s notification to Interpol, but the agency has yet to reply.