In the history of Philippine politics, it is rare to find a story that seems to be straight out of a movie full of suspense, deceit, and international escape. The story of Alice Guo, the former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, became the center of a national issue that shook the foundations of our local government and national security. From her rapid rise to power in 2022 to her current stay inside the Pasig City Jail, every chapter of her life is full of questions that justice is slowly answering.

Alice Guo entered the political scene as a hardworking and successful businesswoman. During her campaign, she promised to modernize Bamban through education, health, and infrastructure projects. Many believed in her “vision,” especially since she immediately launched programs at the beginning of her term. However, behind her smiles and promises, secrets began to emerge. Her name was gradually linked to the controversial Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) which were allegedly a hotbed of illegal activities such as money laundering and human trafficking.

The most shocking revelation in this case is the doubt about her Filipino citizenship. Through a thorough investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), it emerged that Alice Guo’s fingerprints matched those of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping. It was learned that she used fake documents to pretend to be a legitimate Filipino citizen—a major violation that allowed her to run for and win a public office. The anomaly in her birth certificate, which was only registered when she was 17 years old, is also strong evidence of her planned deception.

His citizenship was not the only issue. The raid on a sprawling compound in Bamban believed to be under his control exposed what is known as a “pig butchering scam.” This is a sophisticated type of financial scam in which victims are tricked into investing in bogus schemes. This compound became a hub for operations for foreign scammers, which further pressured Guo into criminal charges. Due to the weight of evidence of grave misconduct, the Ombudsman formally ousted him in August 2024.

In an attempt to escape the law, Guo reportedly left the country in July 2024, passing through Malaysia, Singapore, and eventually reaching Indonesia. But the law is long; with the help of Interpol and the cooperation of Indonesian authorities, Alice Guo was caught in Tangerang on September 3, 2024. Her return to the Philippines was watched by the entire country, where she was taken directly to the Pasig City Jail to face multiple charges: qualified human trafficking, money laundering, tax evasion, and falsification of documents.

On June 27, 2025, the Manila Regional Trial Court formally ended any trace of Guo’s mayoralty after declaring his term “null and void ab initio.” This means that from the beginning, he was never a legitimate government official due to his fake citizenship. This decision served as a victory for the integrity of our institutions.

Currently, Alice Guo remains under strict custody as her trials continue. Despite her insistence of innocence, the mountain of evidence laid out by prosecutors is hard to ignore. This case serves as a powerful warning to the government that stricter screening of candidates and more thorough regulation of foreign businesses are needed. Above all, it is a reminder that no secret is out of the question, and the truth, no matter how hidden, will always prevail in the end.