Former mayor Alice Guo was accused of spying for China and ties to criminal syndicates, has fled the Philippines, igniting widespread anger.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to hold those responsible accountable, condemning the corruption that allowed Guo to leave the country undetected.
Guo, who has been under scrutiny for her alleged involvement in human trafficking and scam centres disguised as online casinos, left the country illegally a month ago and has since travelled through Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Guo’s sudden departure follows a Senate investigation that had ordered her arrest for refusing to testify about her connections to illegal operations.
Guo’s escape has exposed significant flaws in the Philippines’ immigration and justice systems.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, leading the investigation, criticised the ease with which Guo evaded border checks, calling her a “fake Filipino.”
The incident comes amidst heightened tensions between the Philippines and China, as nationalist sentiment grows and the two nations continue to clash over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
