Philippines DOJ claims M'sia uncooperative in probe on ex-mayor

Summary

• Philippine authorities claim that Malaysia is refusing to cooperate with its probes to determine how a former mayor escaped the nation amid allegations of involvement in illegal gaming operations and human trafficking.

• All diplomatic efforts to secure the necessary information from Malaysia have reportedly been exhausted.

The Philippines Department of Justice (DOJ) has claimed that Malaysia is refusing to cooperate with its investigations into the escape of former mayor Alice Guo, who is believed to have travelled to Malaysia as part of her plans to flee the Philippines.

Philippines’ Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Malaysian authorities declined to provide requested critical information, such as flight records and details of the flight Guo was said to have been on.

“Malaysia is supposed to give us the information. They know what flight and aircraft entered, where she was going to, but they refused to give it to us,” Remulla was quoted as saying by The Daily Tribune.

He added that while the Philippines government had “exhausted diplomatic efforts” in its requests to Malaysia, it has since “hit a strong wall”.

Remulla also reportedly alleged that Malaysia’s refusal to assist the probe is linked to the now-dismissed US$14.9 billion (RM62.5 billion) arbitration award to the Filipino heirs to the last sultan of the remote Philippine region of Sulu.

Malaysiakini has reached out to Wisma Putra and the Home Ministry for responses to the claims.

Illegal gaming, human trafficking allegations

Guo, also known as Chinese citizen Guo Hua Ping, has become the focus of an ongoing investigation after allegedly fleeing the Philippines amid serious allegations of involvement in illegal offshore gaming operations and human trafficking.

The allegations came after a senate committee launched an investigation into her in May 2024 following a casino raid uncovering what law enforcers described as scams run from a facility on land that Guo partly owned.

Following her refusal to attend a congressional probe on her alleged ties with Chinese criminal syndicates, she is understood to have fled the Philippines last year by travelling to Malaysia, Singapore and then Indonesia using her Philippine passport.

While the Philippines Bureau of Immigration remains in the dark over how she managed to leave the country, it has maintained that Guo did not pass through formal channels when she left the Philippines.

Guo was eventually arrested in Indonesia before being repatriated to the Philippines, where the DOJ has since approved the filing of 62 counts of money laundering charges against her and 31 others over accusations of power abuse to allow offshore gambling.

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