National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago talks to members of the media during a press conference with officials of the Bureau of Immigration and Department of Justice at the NBI-BSD office on Araneta Avenue in Quezon City on Friday, August 23, 2024. Arnel Tacson, INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — National Bureau of Investigation Director Jaime Santiago has not ruled out the possibility that a “doppelganger” of former Bamban mayor Alice Guo might have been used as a decoy to mislead investigators.
Asked during a media forum whether the alleged doppelganger could have played a role in diverting authorities from Guo’s actual location, Santiago said it is not impossible.
READ: PAOCC cautious about confirmed existence of Alice Guo’s doppelganger
“Hindi po imposible ‘yan, maaaring ganyan ang nangyari,” he said at the Balitaan sa Harbor View media forum.
(That’s not impossible; that might be what happened.)
He added that the purported doppelganger, whom Alice Guo claimed was her staff member, might have been the person Atty. Elmer Galicia saw last August 14.
Galicia was the lawyer who claimed he saw Guo through the window of a vehicle last August 14, a contradiction to reports that the former mayor already fled the country as early as July.
“Maaaring siya ‘yung nakasakay sa kotse na sinasabi ni Atty. Galicia…maaaring hindi niya talaga nakita si Alice,” Santiago said.
(It’s possible that he was the one in the car that Atty. Galicia mentioned… he might not have really seen Alice.)
Additionally, Santiago noted that investigators had been monitoring the alleged doppelganger to help locate Guo.
“During hinahanap namin si Alice Guo, ‘yan ang rabbit namin. Ang ibig sabihin po ng rabbit ‘yan ang susundan mo para makuha mo ‘yung principal,” he said.
(While we were searching for Alice Guo, that was our rabbit. The term rabbit means the lead you follow to get to the principal.)
READ: PAOCC says Alice Guo’s claim of death threat is just her imagination
“So mino-monitor namin ‘yang babae na ‘yan dahil siya ang laging kasama ni Alice,” he added.
(So we are monitoring that woman because she is always with Alice.)