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MANILA: The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is convinced that ‘somebody dropped the ball’ that allowed dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo to leave the country ‘illegally’ and without the government’s knowledge.
Guo, despite being the subject of an Immigration Lookout Bulletin order (ILBO) due to complaints about her alleged involvement in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) and questions about her nationality, was able to leave the Philippines and now in Indonesia, according to information gathered by the PAOCC, its spokesperson Winston John Casio said Wednesday.
Casio added that Guo arrived in Malaysia on July 18, then traveled to Singapore on July 21. She then traveled from Singapore to Batam, Indonesia on Aug. 18.
Casio’s statements corroborate the revelations of Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday regarding Guo’s escape.
‘Unfortunately, she does not appear in any commercial flight records. Wala rin po kaming nakitang (She also doesn’t not appear in any) immigration r
ecords. So it’s beginning to look like na umalis siya ng Pilipinas (that she left the Philippines) illegally,’ Casio said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.
The PAOCC, according to Casio, is now looking at three possible points of exit – the northern-most tip of Luzon, the western-most tip of Luzon, and the Mindanao backdoor exit.
‘Talagang nahirapan kami (We really struggled). We were caught off-guard. Obviously, somebody dropped the ball. Kinakailangan po talaga ‘yung masusing imbestigasyon dito (A thorough investigation is really needed in this),’ he added.
The PAOCC official lamented that the ILBO should have triggered a report from authorities if there was an attempt on the part of Guo to leave the country, whether by air or sea.
‘Meron ho talagang nagpabaya dito. Maybe may tumulong o may nagpabaya (Somebody really neglected on their duty. Maybe someone helped or someone neglected their duty),’ he added.
On Wednesday morning, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed displeasure over th
e reported departure of Guo from the country, adding that ‘heads will roll’ and those found accountable would be sanctioned.
This follows a Malacañang order to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) to cancel Guo and her family’s Philippine passports.
Extradition
Authorities can still pursue Guo either through extradition or a red notice from the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol, Casio said.
The Philippines and Indonesia have an extradition treaty signed in Jakarta on Feb. 10, 1976.
The two countries, along with Singapore and Malaysia, are also member-states of the Interpol.
A red notice from Interpol requires member-states to collaborate in dealing with transnational crimes.
However, Casio noted that an Interpol red notice can only be triggered when a local court issues an arrest warrant against Guo.
Source: Philippines News agency
