Hontiveros flags Bamban Mayor Alice Guo's 'ties' to Singapore criminals

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the Department of Interior and Local Government to remove Bamban Mayor Alice Guo's control over local police, citing her alleged "ties with criminals" through her company.

Citing Securities and Exchange Commission records, Hontiveros pointed out the background of two incorporators in Guo's company. One is Chinese national Zhang Ruijin, who was convicted in April for money laundering in Singapore; while the other is Dominican national Baoying Lin, who is also facing charges.

Guo is also listed as an incorporator in the company, along with Filipino national Rachel Joan Malonzo Carreon and Cypriot national Zhiyang Huang.

Both Zhang and Baoying were described as "domestic partners" in an October 2023 Strait Times report.

Hontiveros said that Guo should no longer have access to the police if she herself is "a protector of criminals."

"Ang daming red flag ni Mayor Alice Guo. Wala na ngang maayos na record sa Pilipinas, may mga koneksyon pa sa mga kriminal. Is this why she is able to afford her lavish lifestyle? Galing ba sa mga kriminal at pugante ang pambili niya ng chopper at mga luxury cars?" Hontiveros said.

(Mayor Alice Guo has a lot of red flags. Not only does she have a questionable record in the Philippines, but she also has connections to criminals. Is this why she can afford her extravagant lifestyle? Could her purchases of helicopters and luxury cars come from criminals and fugitives?)

The embattled Bamban mayor said on Tuesday that she refuses to resign despite the controversy surrounding her identity and citizenship records.

The DILG over the weekend recommended a preventive suspension against Guo after her vague answers to questions about her background and illegal activities during a Senate hearing on illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) operations.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also joined calls to probe Guo's identity, saying that no politician in Tarlac knows her.