How did the Guo siblings escape? Officials discuss on possible exit routes

MANILA, Philippines — Officials are piecing together the possible escape routes taken by dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo and her siblings after their sudden disappearance from the country.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada revealed his theory that siblings Alice, Shiela and Wesley Guo may have escaped the country through a port in Sual, Pangasinan.

“My office has received information that there is a port (in Sual) where Chinese nationals enter. Maybe they are POGO [Philippine offshore gaming operators] employees who are brought there to Bamban. Now, you can also run away from there. Take a ship to go abroad. That’s just my theory,” Estrada said.

Meanwhile, Department of Justice Undersecretary Nicolas Ty suspected that Guo’s group left the country through Luzon and then went to the backdoor of the country in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi (Zambasulta).

“When the news came out that Alice Guo had left the country, the theory of the DOJ was she either traveled by air or across the sea. It’s good that Shiela Guo had revealed how they left the country,” Ty added.

He added that most of the Filipinos rescued from human trafficking claimed they used backdoor routes, either through Zambasulta or Palawan.

He also affirmed Guo’s statement as he revealed that the Luzon route can be used by people to escape, especially if they have resources.

Meanwhile, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that Guo’s testimony affirmed their theory that the Guo siblings departed illegally without formal inspections.

“They allegedly deliberately evaded immigration inspection by leaving on board a small boat from a resort somewhere north, then transferred to a bigger boat. She then said that from the bigger boat, they transferred to another small boat and went straight to Sabah,” Tansingco said.

He also reiterated that Shiela is currently facing a deportation case for undesirability and misrepresentation as a Filipino national, as she was found to have a valid Chinese passport under the name Zhang Mier.

But she would only be deported after the resolution of all pending criminal cases filed against her and the completion of all other liabilities in the country.

He added similar cases might be filed against Guo’s siblings when they return to the country.

“We are in close coordination with our Indonesian counterparts in monitoring the movements of Alice Guo,” the Immigration chief said.

“We are glad that this piece of the puzzle has been found, but Alice’s return to the Philippines would ensure that justice is served,” he added. 

During a joint Senate public hearing on Wednesday, Shiela said that she and her siblings left the country last July using boats bound for Sabah, Malaysia. — Evelyn Macairan