Jamayka Rhose Pascual

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is launching a deeper investigation into dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo following the release of an Al Jazeera documentary tagging her as a Chinese spy.

Photo Courtesy of DOJ/The Manila Times/GMA Network.

The documentary focused on She Zhijiang, an alleged Chinese spy detained in Thailand who is linked to human trafficking and forced labor through scam sites.

She provided access to documents through a custodian that identified Guo Hua Ping as Guo’s real name, linking her to Chinese espionage.

The documents included Guo’s birthplace, address in China, and her mother Lin Wen Yi, who was mentioned in previous hearings about Guo’s true identity.

“China cannot be trusted. The two of us dedicated our lives to China’s Ministry of State Security. Look at what happened to me. If you don’t want to be eliminated, you should tell the world the truth,” She stressed.

Guo then denied working for China’s Ministry of State Security, the communist party’s secret police agency, as well as claims that she allocated funds from criminal syndicates.

“Your Honor, unfair naman po para sa akin, hindi ko po siya kilala at never po ako humingi ng campaign funds entirely. Never po ako humingi ng campaign fund during my campaign period, and iyong video na pinakita ni Congressman Cheeno (Almario) kanina, hindi ko po siya kilala at gusto ko rin po iparating sa lahat ng mga kababayan ko at buong Pilipinas na rin po, mahal ko po ang Pilipinas,” Guo stated.

Although the DOJ has not yet received formal information, undersecretary Raul Vasquez said in an interview that the allegation raises serious national security concerns that merit investigation.

“We cannot dismiss the possibility of that due to the mysterious questions and issues surrounding the character of former Mayor Alice Guo,” he said.

Vasquez added that the DOJ will involve the National Bureau of Investigation and cooperate with national security agencies for further inquiry.

As for Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) executive director Gilbert Cruz, he stressed that thorough investigations must be conducted while maintaining the commission’s focus on building strong cases with verified evidence.

He added that the PAOCC plans to coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and foreign counterparts to verify the claims.

“It’s a big issue if she’s really a spy, which would mean we’ve been infiltrated by such individuals,” Cruz stated.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has also directed units to investigate claims linking Guo to Chinese espionage activities in the country.

During a news briefing, PNP public information officer chief Col. Jean Fajardo confirmed that the Directorate for Intelligence and the Intelligence group are examining reports suggesting that Guo is a spy.

As for the personalities who may have assisted Guo in fleeing the country, the PNP is conducting a separate investigation.