Justice Minister Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday called on immigration personnel possibly involved in the “escape” of sacked Bamban Mayor Alice Guo to come out and tell the truth or “heads will roll.”
Remulla made the remark as he ordered the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to investigate Guo’s departure.
“As public servants, we have pledged to the country our unwavering integrity, transparency and accountability in all our actions and decisions,” he said in a statement.
“I therefore issue this final warning to errant BI staff who may have been involved in Guo’s escape despite our government’s strict restrictions. Either you come forward and expose the truth, or you wait until I personally investigate the matter. Then heads will roll and all hell will break loose,” he added.
In a speech of honor before the Senate on Monday, Senator Risa Hontiveros stated that Guo, also identified as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, left the country on July 18 for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This was previously confirmed by BI spokeswoman Dana Sandoval. Sandoval said Guo is currently in Indonesia.
The Ministry of Justice stressed that an Immigration Lookout Bulletin (ILBO) was issued in June with the names “Alice Guo and Guo Hua Ping.”
An ILBO instructs immigration officials to notify authorities if the person attempts to leave the country.
The Justice Ministry said that despite the existing ILBO, the investigative court confirmed that Guo had secretly left the country.
However, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco had previously stated, citing intelligence information, that Guo had secretly left the country without passing through Philippine immigration authorities.
Meanwhile, Remulla said the department will also investigate the possibility that Guo’s legal advisers may have been involved in her departure.
“I would like to reiterate that lawyers have not only a duty to protect the interests of their clients, but also a broader responsibility to uphold the rule of law and safeguard the public interest,” he said.
Atty. Stephen David, Guo’s legal counsel, said Tuesday morning that Guo had assured him she was still in the Philippines. The lawyer, however, acknowledged that he could not confirm this information and had no idea where exactly she was.
GMA News Online has reached out to the BI and Guo’s camp for comment, but has not received a response at the time of publication.
Guo, who has a Senate arrest warrant, was the focus of a Senate investigation into her alleged links to the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Bamban, Tarlac. Her identity as a Filipino is also being investigated.
READ: TIMELINE: The plot and twists of the “Alice Guo” investigation
—KG, GMA Integrated News
