Trolling the system

The recent arrest of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac, mayor Alice Guo in Indonesia is a welcome development. This coincides with the ongoing search for fugitive Pastor Apollo Quiboloy at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Davao City. Police have been attempting to serve a warrant of arrest for about two weeks now, apparently trying to dig into his underground hideout.

In both cases, the scenario appears to be more than just a high-profile law enforcement event. It has now evolved into a complex case with several layers of political, social, and national security implications.

Take the case of Alice Guo. Social media and national dailies displayed photos of Guo with Philippine officials who took her into custody from the Indonesian authorities in Jakarta. In these photos, Guo appears relaxed and even cheerful, making gestures like the peace sign. Such demeanor contrasts sharply with a typical arrest scenario. She was trying to project confidence, hoping to influence public perception according to her purpose.

That Alice Guo was able to project herself in that way only highlights the naiveté and lack of sophistication of Philippine officials in handling such matters in the age of social media. Guo later explained that her demeanor was meant to express relief at seeing Philippine officials because she felt safe under their protection amid alleged death threats against her.

Listening to Alice Guo, whom a Senate committee has found to have lied several times during her testimony at the committee hearings a few months ago, is like watching a mystery unfold. One is left confounded by the conflicting details and unanswered questions. Her composed demeanor shows a level of preparedness for handling pressure and stressful situations.

Given that, I don’t blame any pundit for suspecting that Guo sounds and acts like a special operative connected to a sophisticated, well-organized network. Her actions, regardless of the scenario she finds herself in --whether escaping, being arrested, or facing an inquiry-- seem to be part of a larger, coordinated plan involving significant resources and planning.

Likewise, her ability to flee the country despite a Senate arrest warrant, coupled with the serious nature of the charges against her, including trafficking and laundering, suggests she could be part of a larger network connected to powerful people in the Philippines.

Another peculiar thing about Alice Guo that makes people suspect she really is more than meets the eye is her seeming mastery of gaslighting. Again, this was evident in the photos showing her acting relaxed and even playful in front of Philippine law enforcement officers and public officials. Seeing Alice Guo presented before the press in Indonesia, I couldn’t believe I was looking at and listening to a person who had just been arrested. It was as if I were viewing old video clips of a Mayor Alice Guo, albeit with her sporting shorter hair.

Guo’s stunt, along with those of her alleged cohorts Cassandra Ong and Sheila Guo, when seen alongside Quiboloy’s continuing evasion of the criminal justice system, indicates deeper, hidden complexities that leads to one conclusion: it is a mockery of our criminal justice system and system of governance. It’s as if these actions are designed to undermine the credibility of legal and governmental institutions and to portray the Marcos administration as weak.

It's akin to trolling our system of governance, exposing its fundamental flaws and deliberately undermining its integrity. The more exposure you give to people like Alice Guo, especially in events that are not well-planned or skillfully handled, the greater the chance they have to troll the system, using the media to manipulate public perception and project a certain image.

It is quite telling that the National Intelligence Coordination Agency has already considered Guo's case a national security concern, primarily due to her alleged involvement in various criminal activities and her alleged Chinese citizenship. For me, it is a national security concern because her case, along with her portrayal of herself as lovable and relatable --which is a form of gaslighting-- is apparently designed to undermine our system of governance.

Given these complexities, it’s important for our public officials to handle cases like that of Alice Guo with an emphasis on legal rigor and good media management. Fugitives and suspected criminals who seek to undermine the public’s confidence in our country's ability to administer justice fairly and effectively must be dealt with strict professionalism and unwavering focus.