Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo’s alleged link to the so-called Fujian gang—a notorious crime syndicate in Fujian, China—drew intense scrutiny after a poster of her poll victory published by a Chinese newspaper surfaced during a House inquiry.
Guo made her first appearance at the House quad committee probe into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) on Thursday, bombarded by mounting queries from lawmakers, including her business dealings and potential links to the Fujian gang.
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro presented a photo of a Chinese newspaper featuring a congratulatory poster for Guo. The text was printed in Mandarin but it was later translated as: Congratulations to the first Chinese mayor, Alice Guo, of Bamban.
“This (congratulatory poster) came from businessmen here in Manila who originated from Fujian, China,” Luistro said.
“I think since they are Chinese, they congratulated through Chinese newspaper,” she narrated in Filipino.
During the overseas man-hunt for Guo, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission spokesperson Winston Casio reported that the former mayor attempted to get into the Golden Triangle, a cross-border zone covering Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and a bit of China.
The Golden Triangle is renowned as one of the centers of criminal activities.
Casio previously said that the Fujian gang was part of the Golden Triangle.
The Fujian gang refers to a crime syndicate similar to triads that includes both immigrant gangs in Hong Kong and local networks in Fujian.
Based on the Bureau of Immigration records, Lin Wen Yi, Guo’s alleged mother, was also from Fujian.
Moreover, Luistro noted that two of Guo’s business partners and fellow incorporators of Bamban-based Baofu Land Development Inc.—Lin Baoying and Rujin Zhang—who were both convicted of anti-money laundering in Singapore, are also from Fujian.
“Based on research, Mr. Chair, the two incorporators by the name Baoying Lin and Rujin Zhang, both convicted of anti-money laundering in Singapore, are all from Fujian, China,” Luistro averred.
Guo denied any knowledge of the Fujian gang and said it was her first time hearing about it.
Luistro’s interpellation revealed Guo’s ties to Lin and Zhang, who were convicted of laundering $3 billion in Singapore, along with another incorporator, Huang Zhiyang, who was implicated in cybercrimes following a raid in 2023.
Guo, however, contended that she was initially unaware that her business partners have criminal records and that it was only Zhang that she personally knew.
PBA Partylist Rep. Margaritta Nograles did not buy Guo’s explanation, saying a background screening is merely one of the crucial requirements in running a business.
“It’s very alarming…It’s kind of hard to believe also na hindi alam, Mr. Chair, or walang suspicions dyan.
"It's very alarming...It's kind of hard to believe that [she doesn’t] know or there are no suspicions there, Mr. Chair,” she said in Filipino.
Guo is said to be the president of Baofu, owning at least 50 percent of its stock. Previously, she claimed that she was no longer part of Baofu and that she divested the interest through a Deed of Assignment before she assumed office in 2022.
Baofu is a POGO operations compound hosting gaming operators Zun Yuan Technology and Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., raided by the authorities for alleged human trafficking, serious illegal detention, and fraudulent cryptocurrency investment operations.
Later in the hearing, Guo was cited in contempt for refusing to directly answer why she did not post a P180,000 bail bond for her graft charges taking into account her huge assets.
"You didn't post bail because you prefer to be detained at the PNP Philippine National Police) Custodial Facility (in Camp Crame, Quezon City). That's the real story. Let's not fool each other here,” said Abang Lingkod Partylist Rep. Stephen Paduano, a co-chair of the panel.
Paduano moved that Guo be detained until the committee's investigation is completed and the report is adopted by the plenary, a motion that Barbers also approved.
The panel has yet to resolve Guo's place of detention pending clearance from the agency taking custody of her, but she will be detained until the committee concludes its investigation and its report is adopted by the plenary.
Currently, Guo is under the custody of the PNP as she faces non-bailable human trafficking charges, in addition to a contempt order issued by the Senate.