The case of elected Mayor of Bamban, Tarlac (Philippines) in 2022 is one full of serious questions involving not only how easy it is to secure birth certificates and passports in the Philippines (even by foreigners), to ensure non-interference of law enforcers in illegal activities, to buy chunks of land and start big businesses, and to be elected to government positions, but most importantly, how our national security is seriously at risk.
Mayor Alice Leal-Guo became the focus of a Senate investigation when two foreigners, a Vietnamese and a Malaysian, escaped a huge POGO (Phil. Offshore Gaming Operation) hub in her small town of Bamban, and revealed the illegal operations such as illegal gambling, human trafficking, scamming and accounts hacking, and torture happening in the newly-built billion-dollar buildings and villas located just behind the municipal hall. Guo said she previously owned the property but divested her interest therein before she ran as Mayor. The Senate investigation revealed that Guo’s business partners -- Chinese nationals -- are fugitives from another country where they’re charged with money laundering. Guo said she didn’t know that her partners in business are fugitives until the Senate hearing, and claimed she has no part in their present operations, but simply introduced their head to the “previous administration” for permits. Documents, however, showed that it was Guo who applied for the Chinese company, and that even at present, the bills and some vehicles used by this group still are under her name.
As the Senate investigation went deeper, the citizenship of Guo was put into question, primarily because her birth was registered late at 19 by her father, a Chinese national, who claimed in his application that he’s Filipino married to a Filipina, an Amelia Leal. Resource persons from the Philippine Statistics Office (which issues/files birth certificates and marriage certificates) revealed that there was no required attached documents in the late registration application to prove Guo’s birth in the Philippines that there’s no record of any marriage between an Angelito Guo and Amelia Leal and that there’s no record of birth certificate for one Amelia Leal, nor for an Angelito Guo.
The Mayor said her father is a Chinese national and that Angelito Guo is his Filipino name. It became clear that Guo’s father lied when he applied for his daughter’s late birth registration. Mayor Guo’s story about her Filipino mother, the househelp of her father who abandoned her after birth, became questionable as well, because documents showed birth certificates of her “siblings,” also late registered, with the same parents, Angelito Guo and Amelia Leal, but different dates of marriage. Previously denying her relationship with such siblings, more documents showed they were members/officers of the family embroidery business in Bulacan. In addition, Guo’s travels with her “sister” were documented, too. The Senate committee under Sen. Risa Hontiveros did a great job researching facts to get to the truth about Guo’s background and possible involvement in illegal activities that allow her to enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
This revelation is another red flag: Guo doesn’t have any school or hospital record in the Philippines. Guo claimed she grew up in the farm and was home-schooled elementary through high school by a lone tutor. However, this home-schooling story could be just a story because Guo never received any certificate of completion from the Department of Education, meaning her home-schooling was never registered either. Guo said she didn’t have any college education. The president of a big company such as Baofu, didn’t go to college? Plus, how Guo answered questions and kept her composure before the Senate committee were too polished for someone claiming to have never attended a regular school or college!
At present and while the Senate of the Philippines is in recess, the Senate investigation is ongoing, and a number of important events about Guo have happened. First of all, the Philippines’ Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of Mayor Alice Guo, resulting from the complaint filed by the Department of Interior and Local Government against Guo’s involvement in illegal activities second, the Office of Solicitor General is contemplating a quo warranto case against Guo and third, a tax evasion case is also being prepared by the government.
Being a Chinese-Filipino is never a crime in the Philippines in fact, the Philippine economy is dominated by Filipinos with Chinese blood/ancestry. However, being a Chinese national illegally obtaining a birth record as Filipino and successfully getting elected to a government office, is a crime. Once up there, the elected official is able to control law anforcement agencies to protect illegal activities that provide millions upon millions of dollars and local currency to his/her own coffers to influence authorities and ultimately grab power to himself/herself in the name of his/her real allegiance.
Perhaps Guo’s case is just one of many. The Philippines is an open border, always welcoming to people interested in investing in the country to provide jobs for Filipinos. However, it is scary to know that some “investors” come in to destroy our country, to do harm to our people, to take over our sovereignty, and to make us modern slaves in our own country. They feast on our country’s weaknesses. They know how to go about our systems. They bribe and get what they want. They make fools out of our people who desperately need money. They marry locals to own our lands. They take over our businesses and we end up closing our small stores to pave the way for malls and supermarkets.
I can only pray and hope that God help the Filipinos fight this kind of foreign invasion. We need to change from the inside of our hearts. We need to embrace true patriotism even in our poverty, because we need to protect our only country.
