Small-town mayor's true identity leads to international spy scandal in Philippines
A former mayor of rural Philippine town faces charges of being Chinese spy and running illegal operations. Case brings up questions about foreign influence in local politics and online-gaming centers
In a small Philippine town of Bamban (population around 78k) Alice Guo got elected as mayor about two years ago. Her independent campaign brought fresh-faced energy to the military-base surrounded area; however things took an un-expected turn
The story changed when Guo got arrested in Indonesia last fall after running from charges related to cyber-crimes and espionage. She moved between several south-east Asian countries before getting caught: her arrest brought up serious questions about Chinese influence in Philippine politics
The timing couldnt be worse — with growing anti-Chinese mood due to south-sea conflicts (a navy person lost their thumb in a clash with Chinese patrol just this summer) the case got extra attention. The town of Bamban became center of attention when authorities found out about illegal activities there
She was a spy‚ but not a special one
Investigations showed Guo might not be who she claimed. Her Philippine passport shows birth-date as 86 in Tarlac; however Chinese documents point to being born in Chinaʼs Fujian province in 90. The discovery made people angry about how foreign persons get fake papers
- Ran illegal online-gaming centers
- Used fake citizenship papers
- Got campaign money from Chinese officials
- Connected to human-trafficking cases
The case connects to bigger political changes — current president Ferdinand Marcos Jr moved away from China-friendly policies of previous leader Duterte. Their political alliance broke down and now both congress chambers look into connections between Guo‚ online-gaming centers and old government. The investigation continues with more questions than answers
