Philippines Fugitive Ex-Mayor Alice Guo Faces Multiple Money Laundering Charges and Asset Seizure

Authorities in the Philippines have logged multiple money laundering charges against escaped ex-town mayor “Alice Guo,” who was allegedly connected to Chinese criminal organizations on 30 August 2024 (Friday).

Alice Guo Denies Charges

The Senate is looking for “Alice Guo,” also known by her Chinese name “Guo Hua Ping,” for refusing to be present in the hearing for her suspected criminal connections.

She has stated that she is a Filipino citizen by birth and facing  “malicious accusations,” and based on this, she denied all the claims.

Involvement of Guo and 35 others

“Guo and 35 others” are collectively accused of “various money laundering charges” at the Department of Justice by “the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission”.

The council has stated, “Guo and her colleagues were accused of laundering more than 100 million Philippine pesos (US$1.8 million) in gains from illicit activities.”

Seizure of Assets

The council has requested to confiscate assets worth “6 billion” that  Guo and her companions acquired through illicit means, including “real estate properties, expensive vehicles, and a helicopter.”

No response from lawyers

The lawyers dealing with the case of Alice Guo and other suspected “Sheila Guo” didn’t reply to the questions asked outside their working hours on Friday.

Read Also:

• Nigerian judge to hear money laundering case against Binance next week
• PEP & EDD failures costs HK$23m fine to the AIA International
• Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Arrested in France over Criminal Allegations

Guo’s International Escape

“Using her Philippine passport, Guo fled the country to other countries “Malaysia and Singapore” last month and another country “Indonesia” this month, and the local government ombudsman recently removed her from office,” the Philippine anti-crime agency added.

Rising Tensions with China

Guo’s case started to happen when the Philippines were already suspicious of China’s operations. An intense fight was going on for ownership of “reefs and shoals” located in the “busy waterway of the South China Sea.”

Findings of Senate

In May, an Investigation by the Senate was started after raiding a Casino in Guo’s quiet farming town of Bamban in March. During the raid, authorities discovered scams in the building, which the ex-mayor partly owned, as per report.