The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines confirmed on August 23 that Shiela Guo is actually a Chinese citizen named Zhang Mier, who obtained a Philippine passport through fraudulent means.
On August 28, local time, Nicholas Ty, the Deputy Minister of Justice of the Philippines, stated that Shiela Guo, the sister of "POGO Mayor" Hua Ping Guo, might qualify as a state witness in the government's investigation of illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) cases—if Shiela can prove her lesser involvement with these illegal activities.
Nicholas Ty said: "She qualifies because if we believe her testimony, she does not appear to be the planner of these illegal activities. Shiela needs to face prosecution first before she can become a state witness."
However, soon after, Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla, the Minister of Justice of the Philippines, publicly stated that Shiela Guo is "unreliable" and cannot serve as a state witness. The differing statements from the two officials on this critical issue may reflect the sensitivity of the situation and internal discrepancies within the government.
Remulla stated that he does not believe the stories previously told by Shiela Guo about "taking a boat to Sabah" and "crossing 1300 kilometers." He believes: "Shiela Guo is unreliable. The reliability of her statements is an issue we need to consider. So far, she is not a reliable witness, and we need to prove that we really need her testimony to make this happen."
Remulla also mentioned that Shiela might just be trying to divert the investigation of Mayor Guo's escape.
