Sen. Risa Hontiveros (left) and Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. –Photos from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau and Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros flagged on Tuesday Bamban Mayor Alice Guo’s alleged ties to criminals, questioning the local chief executive if her goal is to protect these offenders.
In a statement, Hontiveros said these criminals are Guo’s “fellow incorporators” in her company Baofu Land Development, Inc.
“In Baofu’s 2019 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents, incorporators included Mayor Guo, Filipino national Rachel Joan Malonzo Carreon, Cypriot national Zhiyang Huang, Chinese national Zhang Ruijin, and Dominican national Baoying Lin,” said Hontiveros.
READ: Bamban Mayor Alice Guo: ‘I will not resign’
According to the senator, Chinese national Zhang Ruijin was convicted in April for being “linked to the reported largest money laundering case in Singapore.”
Hontiveros said Dominican national Baoying Lin also “faces charges.” She did not elaborate.
Guo earlier explained that she had already “divested” her shares in Baofu way before she got elected as Bamban mayor. Hontiveros insisted, however, that the “fact” remains that the mayor “has ties with these criminals.”
“The mayor herself admitted that her friends helped her in her electoral bid in 2022. Is she talking about criminal and fugitive friends?” Hontiveros asked in Filipino.
READ: The peculiar case of Alice Guo
“Mayor Alice Guo has so many red flags. Not only does she lack proper records in the Philippines she also has connections with criminals. Is this why she is able to afford her lavish lifestyle? Are her chopper and luxury cars financed by criminals?” she added.
Hontiveros’ Senate panel on women is set to conduct another hearing on controversies hounding Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators on Wednesday. Guo is among the panel’s resource speakers.
“I hope the mayor remembers something,” Hontiveros said.
Guo previously received criticism from senators and netizens alike after she repeatedly uttered the phrase “I can’t remember, Your Honor” every time she was asked about personal details such as the name of her homeschool provider, among others.