Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo (PNA file photo)
MANILA – Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo will be brought back from Indonesia to the Philippines on board a chartered plane within the day, Senator Raffy Tulfo announced on Thursday.
Tulfo, in a message to reporters, said Guo will be accompanied by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos and Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil.
"Inaasahang darating sa Pilipinas mula Jakarta, Indonesia mamayang 6:18 PM si dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo o Guo Hua Ping sakay ng chartered flight RP-C6188 (Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo or Guo Hua Ping is expected to arrive in the Philippines from Jakarta, Indonesia later at 6:18 PM via chartered flight RP-C6188)," Tulfo said.
"Aalis sila ng Indonesia bandang ala una ng hapon (They will depart from Indonesia around 1 p.m.)," he added.
According to Tulfo, Abalos also brought the warrant of arrest issued by the Senate.
He said Guo is now being processed by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for her return to the Philippines.
After undergoing the process of the BI and NBI, Guo is set to be detained at the Senate premises to attend the ongoing investigation of the chamber into her alleged link to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.
Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, is looking into improving the operational procedures conducted by the seaports and airports across the country.
The senator believes that chartered flights and backdoor exits are exploited for illegal activities like smuggling and human trafficking.
Addressing these deficiencies, Tulfo said, is essential for enhancing efficiency, security, and sustainability of trade, tourism, and connectivity.
BI: No info on ‘prisoner swap’
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday said it has no information on the supposed talks between Philippine and Indonesian authorities to exchange Guo for Gregor Haas, a high-profile Australian drug suspect who is wanted in Indonesia.
“Personally wala ako knowledge. Kukuha ng information mula sa ating mga tauhan on the ground pero wala ako nadinig na ganito (I don’t have any knowledge. I will check information from our personnel on the ground but I have not heard anything like this) on the table,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a TV interview Thursday.
“The regular process, if there is deportation proceedings, ‘yun individual (process) ang tinitignan natin (the individual process is what we are looking at),” she said.
The BI's Fugitive Search Unit ((FSU) arrested Haas last May 15 in Bogo, Cebu following a red notice by the Interpol.
The National Narcotics Board of Indonesia on Jan. 29 issued an arrest warrant against the fugitive for attempting to smuggle five kilos of illegal drugs hidden in floor ceramic from Guadalajara, Mexico into Indonesia. (with Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
