The Bureau of Immigration (BI) suspects that Alice Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, used a private airstrip to leave the Philippines and travel to Malaysia in July. According to BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval, evidence suggests that Guo did not exit through a major international airport or seaport, as initially claimed.
“We believe that she might have used a private airstrip to illegally leave the country without the knowledge of authorities,” Sandoval said in an interview on Unang Balita. Guo had previously claimed she left the country by boat.
Sandoval explained that private airstrips are usually operated by ground handlers who coordinate with government agencies to secure necessary clearances. The BI is investigating those who may have assisted Guo in her escape, which has since been confirmed to have involved an aircraft arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The BI is also working with Malaysian authorities to review flight manifests from that period to identify potential accomplices. Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado previously testified that Guo entered Malaysia on July 18 amid ongoing investigations into her alleged involvement in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Guo was later apprehended in Indonesia and returned to the Philippines on September 5, where she now faces a qualified human trafficking charge