Guo's sister, Ong intercepted in Indonesia over canceled passports

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Public Information Office (PIO) chief Colonel Jean Fajardo said on Thursday, August 22, 2024, that the basis of the apprehension of Sheila Guo, the sister of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, and the authorized representative of a raided Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga in Indonesia was the cancellation of their passports.

In a press conference, Fajardo said Shiela and Cassandra Li Ong were intercepted and held by Indonesian immigration authorities on Wednesday morning, August 21.

“We coordinated sa ating foreign counterparts since if you may recall and naging basis ng request natin for the cancelation of the passport in pursuant sa Philippine Passport Act one of the grounds para ma-cancel ang isang pasaporte ay kung may mga pending cases sila dito sa ating bansa and based doon sa letter issued by our Executive Secretary ang ground na nilagay doon for the cancellation ay they are fugitives from justice,” Fajardo said.

(We coordinated with our foreign counterparts since, as you may recall, the basis for our request to cancel the passport was pursuant to the Philippine Passport Act. One of the grounds for passport cancellation is if there are pending cases against the individual in our country. According to the letter issued by our executive secretary, the ground stated for the cancellation was that they are fugitives from justice.)

In a television interview, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. said Shiela and Cassandra are already on their way to the Philippines.

Fajardo said monitoring of the movement of Mayor Guo and the rest of her family is ongoing.

Abalos expressed confidence that Mayor Guo will soon be apprehended and will be returned to the Philippines.

“Lumiliit na ang mundo para sakanila (the world is getting smaller for them),” he said.

The Guos have a standing arrest order issued by the Senate committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, which is currently investigating the raided illegal Pogo hub in Bamban, Tarlac.

The probe led lawmakers to investigate Mayor Guo’s involvement in illegal Pogos, as well as her true nationality and identity.

Guo discreetly left the country in July for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia despite a prevailing immigration lookout bulletin order (Ilbo) against them.

The Bureau of Immigration said Guo was sighted in Indonesia as of last Sunday.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin has directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take appropriate actions for the cancellation of the passports of the Guos and Ong as President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. vowed to hold those responsible for the mayor’s departure accountable.

Ong has an arrest order issued by the House of Representatives amid its investigation of the raided illegal Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)