By Brian Jules Campued
Senator Risa Hontiveros welcomed on Tuesday the decision of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to remove Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo of power over the local police, citing red flags on her identity and business ties.
Hontiveros also alleged that Guo “has ties with criminals”, adding that two of the mayor’s fellow incorporators of Baofu Land Development, Inc.: Chinese national Zhang Ruijin, who was convicted in Singapore’s largest money laundering case, and Dominican Republic national Baoying Lin, who faces the same charges.
Documents submitted by Guo’s company to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2019 showed that its incorporators included the mayor as well as Filipino national Rachel Joan Malonzo Carreon, Cypriot national Zhiyang Huang, Zhang, and Lin.
Quoting a Channel News Asia report, Hontiveros said Zhang has “$41 million in assets overseas, including shareholdings in a Philippine real estate development company.”
“Ang daming red flag ni Mayor Alice Guo. Wala na ngang maayos na record sa Pilipinas, may mga koneksiyon 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 asked.
“Given her connections to criminals, I welcome the DILG’s move to remove Mayor Guo’s power over the local police. Dapat wala nang access si Mayor sa ating kapulisan kung siya pala ay protektor din ng mga kriminal,” the senator added.
Hontiveros also noted that during a previous Senate hearing, Guo admitted getting help from her friends in running for mayor in 2022.
“Itong mga kriminal at puganteng kaibigan ba ang sinasabi niya?” the senator asked.
Despite claims by Guo that she had divested her shares from Baofu before she ran for mayor, Hontiveros said the fact remains that she has ties with said individuals.
“Kaya ba siya tumakbong Mayor para maprotektahan niya ang mga kaibigan niya? I am looking forward to our hearing on Wednesday. Sana naman may maalala na si Mayor,” Hontiveros added.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. previously said that he supports the investigation over the possibility of Guo’s involvement in Philippine offshore gaming operations, adding that she has been under the government’s radar as she is not known among local leaders.
“Kilala ko lahat ng mga taga-Tarlac na politiko, walang may kilala sa kanya. Kaya nagtataka kami kung saan nanggaling ito? Bakit ganito ito? Hindi namin malaman,” President Marcos told reporters.
“Kaya kailangan talagang imbestigahan,” he added. – avds
