The Guo Huaping incident is the most followed event among the Chinese community in the Philippines this year. It is thought-provoking how such a bizarre event occurred and developed to this extent.
Today, the author revisits the accident story of Guo Huaping with everyone, and how it will affect the broader Chinese Filipino community.
The following discussions are all based on news reports and some messages circulated among the Chinese community. If there are any errors, friends are welcome to actively correct them.
Guo, a woman from the Guo family, originally from Jinjiang Jinjing Chaodai, moved to the Philippines with her father at the age of 13 and attended Grace High School. She was a school junior of Senator Zhang Qiaowei. It is rumored that Guo's father had once rented a warehouse from the Zhang family; if this is true, then Zhang would be very familiar with her background.
It is said that Guo was very capable; after finishing her studies, she has always been her father's right-hand person, dealing with local politicians and managing businesses on her own.
In 2022, Guo ran for mayor of Bamban. It is not unusual for Filipino-Chinese to be mayors, and even for presidents to claim Chinese ancestry, not to mention cabinet members and local officials. It is common for Chinese surnames to enter politics, but it is usually those who are naturally Filipino or of mixed Chinese-Filipino descent. Guo's background is the first of its kind to be heard of.
The author also takes this opportunity to explain the concept of "naturally Filipino," which is based on jus sanguinis in Philippine nationality law. As long as one's parents are Filipino, regardless of the place of birth or whether one speaks Filipino, one is considered naturally Filipino. Naturalized citizens are not naturally Filipino and can participate in politics but are limited to local leadership positions like Mayor and cannot seek national government positions such as congressman, senator, or president. Naturally Filipinos have no such restrictions.
Guo's miraculous election as mayor, whether money can make the devil turn the millstone, the author does not know, but it is an open secret that buying votes is common in Philippine elections. Some say Guo sought office because of her involvement in gambling, to facilitate her activities; others say it was the gambling industry that heavily funded her campaign for protection. The truth is unknown to the author, but her deep ties with gambling are confirmed. It is said that on the night of her election, the Bamban gambling parks were filled with the sound of firecrackers, celebrating all night.
The subsequent story has already been organized into a timeline by the community editor, which the author will lazily borrow and not repeat here.
According to rumors, the investigation into Guo has other political motives, involving her relationships with other Filipino mayors and local political dynasties, which will not be explored here. Regardless of the reason for the investigation, it is her numerous vulnerabilities that are the main fermenting factors. Filipinos on Facebook pay more attention to the Guo incident than the Chinese, with various insults and parodies everywhere.
From the current news, Guo had already fled by mid-July when she refused to attend a congressional hearing. She has not yet been apprehended, but given the current domestic and international attention, it may not be long.
The author believes that the Chinese interested in the Guo Huaping incident fall into two categories:
The first are the onlookers, mostly from outside the Philippines. After all, this matter is more magical than movies and has a particularly large impact. Filipino politicians even once questioned whether Guo was a spy from China, sent to disrupt Filipino internal affairs. Indeed, oddities are a special product of the Philippines. If filmmakers are looking for real-life inspiration, they might consider the Philippines, where events are bolder and more bizarre than any script.
The second are the Chinese Filipinos. Of course, some Chinese Filipinos also adopt a purely onlooking attitude, but it cannot be denied that many more are affected, such as the two thousand birth certificates in Davao, the two Chinese language teachers who went to the mainland for exchanges, the various identity verification requirements in normal transactions involving Chinese surnames, and the various Chinese population censuses conducted by the police in cooperation with local governments. Who can be sure whether the police conducting the census of the Chinese distribution are real or fake?
There are indeed some criminals among the Chinese Filipinos, especially in the years since President Duterte allowed POGO, leading to frequent chaos in the Chinese community. Law-abiding Chinese Filipinos are also in constant danger. But more of our community are honest people earnestly making a living in this country, devoted to Filipino public welfare, and loving this land, seeking nothing more than a peaceful and happy life. However, the Guo Huaping incident has stirred up turmoil for many Chinese living peacefully here, facing many uncertainties. It is said that some investigations into the Chinese community are already being conducted secretly. How many more troubles will our community face in the future? Are there still people in our community willing to stand up for the welfare of the Chinese community as the older generation did?
Guo has already fled, but the entire Chinese Filipino community continues to carry the burden.
