Change in demeanor

I remember a saying in Tagalog that the first to react is guilty. This saying is used for a variety of things. Maybe this is what the lawmakers remember in their belief that the different demeanor of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac, mayor Alice Guo in the last quad committee hearing of the House of Representatives is a sign that something has been revealed about her true personality. An Al Jazeera documentary was shown at Friday's hearing about She Zhijiang, a Chinese fugitive who is now imprisoned in Thailand and is fiercely resisting his return to China because he believes he will be executed.

His crimes include human trafficking, extortion, and cyber scams, according to China. In the documentary, he claims he was forced to become a Chinese spy for the dropping of charges against him. He started as a spy in the Philippines and claimed he worked with Guo Hua Ping or the well-known Alice Guo. The documentary is long, and some details about Alice Guo are revealed. They supposedly know each other, he allegedly helped in her campaign to become the mayor of Bamban, she was born in China. He warned Alice Guo that China cannot be trusted and that she must tell the truth.

The change in Guo's demeanor was noticeable when the documentary was aired. Her name was mentioned, and her picture and other details were shown. The once-relaxed and quirky Guo became agitated and defensive. Her irritation in answering questions was evident compared to when she acted as the oppressed. She denied knowing She Zhijiang and said she would file charges against him. Some legislators even told her to stay "cool" after noticing her change in demeanor.

But remember the documentary did not come from the Philippines. The documentary is not about her, but her name and other details are mentioned. She Zhijiang's name never came up in the investigation except last Friday. And remember she didn't run to China after fleeing the country. Why is that? I would think if she headed for China, she would be untouchable. But she allegedly was heading for the Golden Triangle, according to some reports.

There is too much evidence against Alice Guo in too many aspects. Her origin, her identity, and now, her nefarious activities and true role in the Philippines. It looks like the administration needs to act as this issue has gone far enough. I wonder if the government planned to deport her to China, would she willingly go?