Senators fume over ‘selfies’ with Alice Guo

President Marcos downplays viral images: Philippine is world’s selfie capital

MANILA, Philippines — Senators yesterday expressed outrage over viral photos of government officials – including the country’s police chief and secretary of the interior – having selfies with a visibly relaxed and cheerful Alice Guo in Indonesia before she was brought back to Manila.

But President Marcos shrugged off the chorus of indignation, mostly on social media, over the incident, saying Filipinos were generally happy people.

“You can’t stop them from smiling,” Marcos said in an interview in Antipolo, Rizal, in reaction to the backlash over the viral images of officials seemingly engaging the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac in friendly banter.

“I think that is part of the new culture now – to take any pictures and post them – ‘see, I was part of the team (that picked up Guo),’ ” Marcos said.

“They just had a selfie. I don’t think there’s much more to it than that,” he said, as he reminded the public that the Philippines is considered the “selfie capital of the world.”

The President admonished Guo to stop being evasive and just address allegations against her.

People turned to social media to express their dismay over photos showing officials – including Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Franciso Marbil and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) – looking exuberant as they received Guo from Indonesian authorities late Thursday.

Senators frowned on the way officials treated Guo in Jakarta, as they reminded them that she is facing serious charges of money laundering and human trafficking.

Abalos and Marbil were photographed with Guo, who was all smiles as she flashed a double peace sign while inside the Indonesian police headquarters.

Netizens on X were also angered by a group photo of NBI agents with Guo – also known as Guo Hua Ping – inside a car on their way to the Jakarta airport.

Not a photoshoot

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who led the Senate investigation on Guo’s alleged illegal offshore gaming activities, castigated the officials for turning her arrest and surrender into a social media spectacle.

“We want answers, not a photoshoot. After hiding from authorities, Alice Guo turned her arrest into a fan-meet. Only a red carpet was missing,” Hontiveros said.

“A reminder to our fellow government officials – we should not have turned her arrest into a social event. She is a fugitive facing serious cases of human trafficking, money laundering, fake identity, gross misconduct, illegal recruitment and detention and corruption,” she added.

Sen. Joel Villanueva also assailed law enforcers for having the gall to have their photos with a fugitive, as if it were not embarrassing enough for them and the entire country that Guo had managed to elude them.

“So unprofessional! Seriously, do you want to take a picture with this treacherous fugitive?” Villanueva said.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also called out the law enforcers for being chummy with somebody conniving with a syndicate involved in digital crimes.

“Our law enforcers should have shown professionalism and proper decorum in arresting a fugitive. There is nothing cute about having a selfie with a criminal,” Gatchalian said. “Let us not accept this kind of behavior.”

For Sta. Rosa, Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, the seemingly celebrity treatment of Go is abhorring but may be part of a “strategy” by officials to gain her trust.

“She should have been treated as a fugitive. It goes for everybody. Application of the law must be fair,” he said.

“Sometimes, you do things to gain someone’s trust and confidence, and I think that’s what’s in their minds during that time, and we cannot blame them,” he said, referring to ranking officials who received Guo from Indonesian authorities.

No special treatment

Abalos and Marbil took a chartered flight to Jakarta to escort Guo, which the Department of the Interior and Local Government chief said was at no cost to the government. Abalos said the aircraft was owned by his friend. The DILG chief stressed there was no special treatment given to Guo.

“Right now, she (Guo) has a mugshot, she is now in jail. No cellphone, no aircon. Just like an ordinary detainee,” Abalos said.

He added the controversial photo with Guo was taken during their private meeting where the dismissed mayor informed them that she was receiving death threats.

Abalos said he had asked for the picture to be taken as proof they had apprehended her but did not realize the former mayor was posing for the camera. “There was no selfie or anything,” Abalos said.

Asked whether government personnel should be barred from taking selfies with Guo, Abalos said “it should really be like that,” adding “the impropriety was already there.”

He asked the public not to dwell on the photos but on the arrest of Guo, who is being linked to criminal activities involving Philippine offshore gaming operators or POGOs

“Be that is it may, this is the important thing, I’ve done my best, mission accomplished – I brought Alice Guo back,” Abalos said.

PNP apologizes

The PNP, through its public information officer Col. Jean Fajardo, apologized for the controversy.

At a briefing at Camp Crame, Fajardo appealed to the people to not put too much weight on the viral photos.

She said Abalos and Marbil were unaware Guo made a wacky pose which angered the public.

“There was no intention on their part to offend anyone and again I think it’s but normal for anyone to smile when being photographed,” Fajardo said.

‘Relief after hard work’

In an interview over dzBB, NBI chief Jaime Santiago apologized and asked for “understanding of the people” for the behavior of his men, saying they “were just expressing their relief after the mission was completed.”

Santiago explained that the photo was intended to serve as proof of Guo’s capture. “It was a sign of relief after all the hard work and struggle. The agents were celebrating the success of the mission, and that’s why they were happy,” Santiago explained in Filipino.

He admitted, however, that the public may have misunderstood the celebratory mood.

Santiago clarified that he did not condone the action of the agents, who have to maintain professionalism at all times. He also mentioned that a debriefing session would be held with the agents involved.

Santiago also addressed concerns over Guo not being in handcuffs during the turnover, explaining that she was still under the jurisdiction of Indonesia.

“Once she boarded the plane, she was handcuffed, dressed in an orange shirt and her Miranda rights were read,” he said.

Militant groups said Philippine authorities’ treatment of Guo was proof of double standards in the justice system in the country.

In a Facebook post, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) president Renato Reyes said the behavior shown by Abalos and Marbil in photos and videos with Guo was in direct contrast to the image of an activist handcuffed and being held down by policemen during a rally.

Fishers group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) also condemned the “special treatment” of Guo by authorities.

“After disrespecting the process of investigation and evading responsibility, fugitive Alice Guo appeared to have been treated with fanfare,” Pamalakaya vice chairman Ronnel Arambulo said in a statement.

He said the officials who showed leniency toward Guo should be ashamed of themselves, as they had only exposed the injustice the poor have had to endure.

“A plunderer in government with links to criminal activities by foreigners was even fetched from abroad by the NBI and the head of the DILG and brought back safely to the country using taxpayers’ money,” he said. — Emmanuel Tupas, Mark Ernest Villeza, Romina Cabrera, Sheila Crisostomo