MANILA, Sept 9 (Askume) – Former Philippine mayor Ellie Kuo was charged with contempt of court for a second time on Monday after she refused to give her name in response to a senator’s question about her alleged ties to a Chinese crime syndicate and fled twice months ago.
The 38-year-old former mayor of Bamban was arrested in Indonesia last week along with a Chinese monk, had her hair cut short and was deported to her country, according to authorities.
He denies any criminal links.
Wearing a bulletproof vest, Guo appeared calm before the Senate investigation panel and dodged most questions. He said he was unable to answer because of death threats and the ongoing criminal case .
He provided neither details nor evidence of any threats.
In July, senators charged Guo with contempt of court and ordered his arrest if he failed to appear at a hearing. Law enforcement later discovered that he had left the Philippines for Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia in July.
Guo, who has been Bangban’s mayor since 2022, was fired by the county government last month for serious misconduct. He faces corruption charges at the Philippine Court of First Instance and money laundering charges at the Department of Justice.
On Monday, senators took turns criticizing Guo and accusing him of lying about being Filipino, even though the National Bureau of Investigation found evidence that Guo’s fingerprints matched those of Chinese citizen Guo Huaping.
Senate committee chairwoman Risa Hontiveros said, “I move that Huaping Guo (also known as Alice Guo) be held in contempt of the Senate for providing false and evasive testimony before this committee.” The motion passed immediately.
Escape from the boat
Asked how she escaped, Guo said she and her companions escaped by boat with the help of an Asian woman, who declined to give her name, and then boarded a larger boat.
In May, a Senate raid on a casino in Mongban , located partly on land owned by Mr. Guo, revealed what law enforcement officials said was a scam.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last week urged Guo to reveal how gambling businesses targeting Chinese clients, known as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), entered the criminal world.
Marcos banned the online gambling industry in July.
“I am not involved in the online gambling industry,” Guo said in one of his few candid answers to senators on Monday.
The issue has become a hot topic of discussion in the Philippines as territorial disputes escalate and suspicions grow over China’s activities in the South China Sea.
