A fugitive former mayor of a town in the Philippines arrived in Manila early Friday morning after she was deported from Indonesia. Alice Guo has been accused of having links to a Chinese criminal syndicate.
Philippine authorities formally arrested her upon arrival on charges of graft and corruption. Guo is suspected of ties to an illegal online casino catering to Chinese clients while she was the mayor of Bamban town on Luzon Island. Investigators suspect the casino engaged in human trafficking and investment scams.
Shortly after Guo arrived in Manila, she said that she has received death threats, and she is asking for the authorities’ help.
Guo was detained in the outskirts of Jakarta on Wednesday. She had fled the Philippines after speculation about her Chinese nationality. Guo earlier claimed to a congressional investigation that she is a natural-born Philippine citizen.
The Philippine Interior Secretary has assured the safety of the former mayor, as long as she cooperates with the investigation.
The incident comes amid growing antipathy toward Beijing over maritime skirmishes in the South China Sea. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had demanded that Guo be returned to face justice.