On August 19, local time, the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) stated that there is no indication that Alice Guo, the former mayor of Bamban town in Tarlac province (also known as the POGO mayor), has left the Philippines.
Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV said, "As far as we know, Guo is still in the country. The Bureau of Immigration has not reported any departure on her part." The DOJ's statement is seen as a response to Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros's accusation that Guo had left for Malaysia on July 17.
Clavano reminded that on August 16, Guo, through her lawyer, submitted a motion to the DOJ along with her sworn rebuttal testimony concerning the "human trafficking" complaint. The rebuttal testimony was sworn before a notary public in the Philippines on August 14, 2024.
Clavano stated that the authorities are currently waiting for verification from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to determine the authenticity of the documents and will continue to gather information from the Bureau of Immigration and the NBI. He emphasized, "Guo's case is of national significance," and noted that if Mayor Guo has indeed left the country, "a thorough investigation is necessary to hold the responsible parties accountable."
