Filipino officials under fire for posing with controversial 'China spy mayor' Alice Guo

Senior Filipino officials have landed themselves in a controversy by posing for photographs with a former small-town mayor accused of spying for China as they escorted her back home from Indonesia.

According to a BBC report, Alice Guo is seen beaming and flashing a peace sign in the photographs alongside the smiling interior minister and the chief of the Philippine National Police.

These images were reportedly taken before they boarded a private jet to Manila from Jakarta late Thursday, added the report.

Guo, who was apprehended just outside Jakarta on Wednesday following a weeks-long manhunt, has a complex story.

Her involvement in illegal scam centres, questions about her citizenship, and a dubious account of her childhood, has captivated the Philippines for months.

More from World

Nepal's new PM pays homage to people died during the Gen Z protest in her first national address This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal

According to the report, authorities have accused Guo of shielding scam centers and human trafficking rings that operated under the guise of online casinos or Philippine Online Gaming Operations (Pogos) while she served as mayor of Bamban.

Her case has revealed how online casinos catering to mainland Chinese clients have long been a front for organised crime, reported BBC.

Lawmakers have also accused of forging her Filipino citizenship and being a Chinese national, allowing her to run for public office and win on her first try, despite being a political novice.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

Her case has captured public attention, particularly as Manila remains embroiled in ongoing disputes with Beijing over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

One of the officials under fire, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, said he had the photo taken with her for “documentation”.

“She requested to speak with me and the (national police) chief because she had been receiving death threats. I told her she had nothing to fear because the police will protect her,” BBC quoted Abalos as saying at a press conference in Manila.

“We wanted to document it so that everything is clear. I couldn’t see what she was doing because I was looking at the camera,” he added.

During the same press conference, Guo was questioned about the photo. She confirmed that she had informed Abalos and PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil about the threats to her life.

“I asked for their help. I was also happy that I saw them. I feel safe,” Guo was quoted as saying.

By that time, Guo had changed into an orange detainee shirt. At the Jakarta airport, she had been dressed casually in a white striped t-shirt and jeans, and she was not wearing handcuffs.

Another photo released by the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation showed Guo smiling with authorities in the backseat of a vehicle.

This image quickly sparked criticism on social media.

“We want answers, NOT a photoshoot. Alice Guo, the fake Filipino, has a lot of explaining to do,” BBC quoted Sen Risa Hontioveros, who is leading an inquiry in parliament on Guo’s case, as saying.

“The Philippine justice system is a circus,” one X user was quoted as saying.

“Probably one of the most disturbing clips in the news right now. How can Alice Guo manage to still smile and wink like a movie star?” another X user said.

Another X user said the interior secretary and the police chief had posed for a photo with someone that is “symbolic of their own failure”.

With inputs from agencies