INQToday: Shiela Guo is Chinese national ‘Zhang Mier’, says NBI chief

Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:

Shiela Guo is Chinese national ‘Zhang Meir’, says NBI chief

Shiela Guo is also a Chinese national, according to National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago.

Citing fingerprint analysis, Santiago announced during a joint press conference with Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco and Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano on Friday that Shiela Guo is “Zhang Meir.”

NBI taking custody of Cassandra Ong ‘illegal’ — Topacio

“This is wrong on so many levels.”

This was the reaction of Atty. Ferdinand Topacio to the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) plan to take his client, Cassandra Ong, in custody. Ong is the business partner of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo.

Ong and the embattled mayor’s sister, Shiela, arrived in the Philippines from Indonesia around 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Shiela Guo, Cassandra Ong to appear at Senate Pogo probe on Aug 27

Shiela Guo and Cassandra Li Ong will appear at a public inquiry of the Senate on Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) on August 27.

Senate Spokesperson Arnel Jose Bañas said in a statement Friday that the upper chamber has received assurance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) assurance that Guo and Ong would attend the probe.

Hontiveros says circulating photos with Alice Guo are fake

Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo has been the talk of the town following the Senate probe into her alleged involvement in the illegal activities of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogos) in Bamban and her questionable nationality.

Despite running as an independent candidate in the 2022 polls, Guo won the mayoral election, with 16,503 votes against her rival Joey Salting.

Harry Roque on House detention: This is a demolition job

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque slams the move to detain him at the House of Representatives after he was cited for contempt for supposedly lying about his absence in the August 16 hearing.

The House quad-committee is investigating the extrajudicial killings committed during the Duterte administration and crimes linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators.

PH seafarers told to avoid Red Sea deployment

Amid the escalation of conflict in the Red Sea, the Philippine government advised Filipino seafarers to exercise their “right-to-refuse-sailing” in the area or to avoid it altogether.

The reminder was aired through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in an advisory issued early Friday morning.