Heads must roll over the alleged departure of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo outside the country despite a warrant for her arrest, a lawmaker said Tuesday. 

Guo has left Philippines, says Hontiveros

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Guo, who has been linked to illegal offshore gaming operations in the same municipality where she was elected, could not have left the Philippines without inside help including assistance at the airport considering her departure was not even listed in immigration records.

He pointed out it is "shocking" that authorities only caught wind of Guo's departure a whole month after she had already left the country.

"Nakakahiya itong nangyari sa atin dahil hindi lang sa Pilipinas pinapanood itong issue sa POGO at kay Guo Hua Ping. Buong mundo ay pinapanood ito. Nakakahiya itong nalusutan tayo ni Guo Hua Ping. Dapat may managot dito, lalong-lalo na ang [Bureau of Immigration] at Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines]," he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview. 

"Hindi magagawa ito ng walang kasabwat at kakuntsaba sa loob ng airport natin at ng pamahalaan natin. Hindi mangyayari ito kung hindi siya nakipag-kuntsaba kaya importanteng hanapin kung sino ang mga ito dahil kung meron ganitong sindikatong nag-ooperate baka konektado rin ito sa POGO."

According to government sources of ABS-CBN News, Guo allegedly used a Philippine passport when she left Manila on July 18, 2024 via Batik Air and landed on the same day in Kuala Lumpur.  

Then, on July 21, Guo boarded a Jetstar Asia Airways flight and landed in Singapore, where she stayed until early morning of August 18. She then took a ferry going to Riau, Indonesia on the same day.

Ombudsman orders dismissal of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo

The Bureau of Immigration, for its part, said Guo could have left the country illegally without passing through Immigration authorities, adding they have received information that she illegally travelled to Malaysia as early as July.

“We received intelligence information from our counterparts abroad that Guo illegally left for Malaysia then flew to Singapore,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.

Tansingco made the statement a few days after meeting immigration heads from other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-states in Vietnam.

Tansingco also said that Guo’s supposed departure is not recorded in the agency’s system and database.

“So far we have not received any turnover or reports related to Guo from other agencies, including those manning our maritime borders,” he stated.

Gatchalian said authorities are still checking if Guo used a private plane or a commercial flight to leave the country. 

Canceling Guo's Philippine passport could be ineffective, he said, pointing out that the dismissed mayor is a Chinese national and has a Chinese passport. 

He added the Philippines could also ask for Guo's extradition if she is staying in the Asean. 

"Kung saan man siya nandoon ay hihingin natin na ibalik siya sa ating bansa. Sa Asean, meron tayong (extradition agreement) liliit ng liit ang mundo niya, hindi siya makakalayo dahil pagpupunta siya sa ibang bansa, mas mahigpit doon," he said.