Philippines Senate holds ex-mayor Alice Guo in contempt a second time

By Karen Lema

MANILA (Reuters) - Former Philippine town mayor Alice Guo was held in contempt for a second time on Monday after refusing to answer senators' questions on suspected ties to Chinese criminal syndicates and how she escaped the country two months ago.

The 38-year-old ex-mayor of Bamban was arrested in Indonesia last week, alongside a Chinese monk and with her hair cut short in disguise according to authorities, and deported home.

She denies any criminal links.

Appearing in a bulletproof vest at a Senate investigative panel, Guo looked unrattled and evaded most questions, saying death threats and ongoing criminal cases constrained her from responding.

She did not specify or give proof of the threats.

Senators first held Guo in contempt in July and ordered her arrest for failing to appear at a hearing. Law enforcers later found out she left the Philippines in July, going to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

Bamban mayor since 2022, Guo was removed from office by the Ombudsman last month for grave misconduct. She faces graft charges at a Philippine trial court and a money laundering complaint at the Department of Justice.

Senators took turns to grill Guo on Monday, becoming irked and accusing her of lying that she is Filipino despite evidence obtained by the National Bureau of Investigation showing her fingerprints match Chinese national Guo Hua Ping.

"I move to cite Guo Hua Ping, also known as Alice Guo, in contempt of the Senate for testifying falsely and evasively before this committee," said Senate committee head Risa Hontiveros, whose motion was quickly passed.

BOAT ESCAPE

Asked how she escaped, Guo said she and companions left on a yacht with the help of an Asian woman she refused to name, before transferring to a larger boat.

The Senate launched an investigation into Guo in May after a casino raid in Bamban uncovered what law enforcers described as scams run from a facility on land she partly owned.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Guo last week to disclose how gambling businesses targeting customers in China, known as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), had branched into crime.

Marcos banned the online gambling industry in July.

"I am not involved in POGOs," Guo said on Monday in one of her few clear responses to the Senators.

Her case has gripped the Philippines at a time of growing suspicion about China's activities following an escalation of territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)