A small town in the Philippines is in shock. Accusations claim Mayor Alice Guo is a Chinese spy. She couldn’t explain her background during an inquiry. Initially she claimed her father is Chinese and her mother is Filipino.
However, investigations by Philippine Senators now suggest her mother is also Chinese.
Strategic Location of Bamban
Bamban is 30km north of Basa Air Base, one of nine EDCA sites. The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is an agreement between the United States and the Philippines intended to bolster the American–Philippine alliance. The agreement allows the United States to rotate troops into the Philippines for extended stays and allows the United States to build and operate facilities on Philippine bases for both American and Philippine forces.
These are joint US-Philippine military facilities, allowing US troops to rotate through. The town is now at the center of a national controversy.
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Allegations Against Mayor Alice Guo
Mayor Alice Guo, 35, is accused of being a Chinese agent. Her responses during a Senate hearing raised suspicions about her background. Guo speaks fluent Tagalog and often wears pink in public. She faced scrutiny over her involvement with a local POGO center. Law enforcement discovered this center was a front for a large-scale scam. They rescued 700 workers, including 202 Chinese nationals, forced to pose as online lovers.
Investigation Into Guo’s Background
Guo owns half the land where the POGO center was located. She claimed to have sold it before her mayoral campaign two years ago. However, her high-value assets, like a helicopter and a Ford Expedition, raised further questions. She also claimed to have sold these assets.
Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed concern over Guo’s unclear answers about her background. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian criticized Guo’s evasive responses and inability to remember basic details.
He also obtained a Sangguniang Bayan Resolution from September 2020. This document approved Guo’s application for a license to operate Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc. At that time, Guo was a private citizen.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is looking into the names and entities linked to Bamban Mayor in the ongoing Senate inquiry. She was also found to be associated with the Singapore’s Largest Money Laundering Scandal.
Claims Under Oath
In her 2022 campaign, she said, “I am Alice Guo from Bamban. My mother is Filipina, my father is Chinese.” Her uncommon surname among Filipinos of Chinese descent adds to the mystery. The investigation into Ms. Mayor’s background and the legality of her position is ongoing.
If found guilty of holding public office illegally or being a foreign agent, Alice risks losing her mayoral position. The case reflects broader concerns over foreign influence in Philippine politics.
Senators Gatchalian and Hontiveros have serious questions about Alice’s parents, especially her mother, Lin Wen Yi.
Unveiling Lin Wen Yi
Gatchalian’s team investigated in Valenzuela City. Residents claimed to know Guo’s mother, Lin Wen Yi, a Chinese national. This contradicts Guo’s statement that her mother was a Filipino housekeeper. Gatchalian presented evidence suggesting Wen Yi is indeed Guo’s biological mother. However, later the Mayor refused the claims saying that Wen Yi is the Romantic Partner of his father and not her biological mother.
Contradictions and Evidence
Gatchalian’s research showed Wen Yi rented a warehouse and introduced herself as the Mayor’s mother. Senator Hontiveros presented documents showing Wen Yi lived at the same address as the Mayor.
The Securities and Exchange Commission documents revealed that Alice’s co-incorporators in multiple businesses included her siblings Shiela L. Guo and Siemen L. Guo and her father Jian Zhong, a Chinese national.
Travel records showed Jian Zhong and Wen Yi traveled together at least 170 times over six years, raising suspicions about their true relationship. Hontiveros questioned whether they were merely business partners or actually married, suggesting a potentially dubious family business.
