Indonesia entered Filipinos’ online conversations after its authorities captured Shiela Guo and Cassandra Li Ong, both associated with dismissed Bamban Mayor Guo Hua Ping (or Alice Guo), at its airport on Thursday.
Reports say Shiela, Alice’s sister who is also known as Zhang Mier, and Ong were about to leave Indonesia’s Batam Island when Indonesian investigators from the Directorate of Wasdakim intercepted and deported to the Philippines.
Ong is a representative of the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub Lucky South 99.
Indonesian immigration officials apprehended the two at the Mega Mall Batam Centre in Riau, Indonesia on August 20.
When the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration (BI) learned that Shiela and Ong traveled to Batam Island on August 18, they coordinated with their Indonesian counterparts, who initiated an investigation into their whereabouts.
“They were considered illegal aliens by Indonesian immigration as they are wanted in the Philippines,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said to reporters.
The BI also found out that a male Singaporean allegedly assisted four persons, reportedly including Alice’s brother Wesley Guo, in booking their stay in Indonesia.
The Philippine Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission said Wesley is no longer in Indonesia and is already in another country.
Meanwhile, Shiela and Ong were nabbed after the Inteldakim Officer at the Batam Immigration Office received a public report of the “suspicious foreigners'” alleged immigration crimes.
They were detained at the Batam Special Class I Immigration Office on Wednesday and “handed over and escorted by Immigration Officers from the Philippines BI on Thursday.”
Alice, however, evaded authorities even though it was believed she entered Indonesia with them via a cruise ship from Singapore.
The arrest of Shiela and Ong prompted the word “Indonesia” to land on the Philippines trends list on the X (formerly Twitter) platform on Thursday.
“It’s a national disgrace that these fugitives slipped through our fingers. While we appreciate Indonesia’s assistance, it’s a stark reminder of the ineffectiveness and corruption within our law enforcement,” a Filipino commented.
“Mabuti pa ang Indonesia, mabilis nahuli si Cassandra Li Ong at si Shiela Guo. This only implies that we have lots of holes in our law enforcement and immigration agencies. Is this due to sheer negligence or outright corruption? Must be both,” former senator Leila de Lima wrote.
Filipino Reddit users also talked about Shiela and Ong in the r/Philippines subreddit, with some commending Indonesia for flagging them, a feat they claim cannot be done by Pinoy authorities.
Alice and her companions have active arrest warrants from the Senate and the House of Representatives in relation to the investigation of their alleged involvement in illegal POGO hubs in Pampanga and Tarlac.
“I’d like to express my highest gratitude to Indonesia for doing a great job on behalf of PH [Philippines] because they cannot do it themselves,” a Reddit user wrote.
“Kung hindi pa umaksyon Indonesia… Hays. Saya naman ng may working governments,” another Redditor commented.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Jaime Santiago said they were now coordinating with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to find Alice.
Indonesia and the Philippines have an extradition treaty signed in Jakarta on Feb. 10, 1976.
The treaty was created “to make more effective the cooperation of the two countries in the repression of crime and, specifically, to regulate and thereby promote the relations between them in matters of extradition.”
It extradites individuals who are being proceeded against or who have been charged with crimes such as murder, rape, abduction, illegal detention, slavery, estafa, corruption, graft, bribery, perjury, smuggling, arson, hijacking, crimes related to illegal drugs, and relating to firearms, among others.
The two countries, along with Singapore and Malaysia, are also member-states of the Interpol.
A red notice from Interpol requires member-states to collaborate in dealing with transnational crimes, although it can only be triggered when a local court issues an arrest warrant against Alice.
Alice has been linked with raided POGO hubs alleged to be involved in illegal activities like illegal online gambling and human trafficking.
