The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed criminal charges against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and five others, including a lawyer who notarized her counter-affidavit in a human trafficking case before the Department of Justice (DoJ).

NBI Director Jaime Santiago announced in a press briefing that the complaint included violations of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) for falsification by a notary public; Article 172 for the use of falsified documents; Article 183 for perjury; and Section 1 of Presidential Decree 1829 for obstruction of justice.

The charges stemmed from discrepancies in Guo’s counter-affidavit, which she claimed to have signed prior to her escape from the Philippines on 18 July. However, the notarized document indicated that it was signed on 14 August.

Guo was arrested in Tangerang City, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 14 September.

NBI anti-fraud division chief Palmer Mallari said an investigation revealed that Guo was not in the country when the lawyer, Elmer Galicia, notarized the document.

Mallari said another person likely signed the document on Guo’s behalf, based on an examination of signatures taken from documents at the Bamban municipal hall.

Likely a spy

Meanwhile, Senator Loren Legarda expressed her belief that the dismissed mayor was a Chinese spy, citing the latter’s demeanor in the past hearings of both chambers of Congress.

“Unless I have the proof, I cannot say it with certainty but she looks like [a spy], she acts like [a spy], but definitely, she is a coddler of illegal criminal syndicates like the POGO,” Legarda told reporters in a press conference.

“Whether she was placed as a spy, I don’t want to assume that when I don’t have factual basis. But definitely, she was placed here by criminal syndicates, and she’s been coddling them and she’s part of them. But she looks like a spy, acts like one, lies like one,” she said.

Guo will go on trial for qualified human trafficking at the Regional Trial Court of Pasig City.

DoJ probing spy claim

Simultaneously, the DoJ is investigating allegations that Guo is a spy, an issue raised by Justice Undersecretary Nicky Ty on Thursday.

The department will coordinate with the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) to verify the claim.

“The intelligence agencies will vet the reliability of the information regarding the claim made by a Chinese national held in Thailand,” Ty said.

He emphasized that the allegation is a national security concern and that intelligence agencies will determine the necessary steps for verification.

Guo, identified as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, was labeled a spy by Chinese-Cambodian businessman She Zhijiang in a report by international news channel Al Jazeera.

Guo has denied any connection to She, who is reportedly a former Chinese spy.

In addition to the espionage investigation, Guo is facing multiple legal challenges, including a qualified human trafficking case, a graft case, and a tax evasion complaint, among other allegations linking her to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Bamban allegedly involved in illegal activities.

The government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, has expressed concern about the reported operations of foreign individuals conducting espionage in the country.

“The department has noted reports containing relevant information on alleged foreign covert operations in the Philippines,” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza told reporters in a press briefing on Thursday.

“In accordance with its mandate to help protect the national security, the department takes such reports seriously and is monitoring relevant developments in this regard,” Daza added.

The joint hearing of the Senate Committees on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality; Migrant Workers and Public Order; and Dangerous Drugs on the POGO in Bamban and the alleged link of Guo to them is set to resume on 8 October.