The Director of the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation, Santiago, stated that Guo Huaping had been hiding in one place to evade authorities and had even cut her hair to conceal her identity. He said: "We believe she stayed in one place, really didn't go out much, because if she did, the entire Indonesian police force, including our agents, would be on high alert. Information shared by the Indonesian police shows she indeed cut her hair short to hide her identity."
Santiago also mentioned that Guo Huaping was arrested alone, and her brother Wesley Guo is still wanted.
There is new information that Guo Huaping will be sent back to the Philippines on Thursday (September 5), expected to undergo a similar procedure as Shiela Guo and Cassandra Ong, who returned to the Philippines two weeks ago. However, unlike last time, Indonesia has proposed a "prisoner swap" this time.
The Philippine Department of Justice stated that Jakarta agreed to deport Guo Huaping but wanted to exchange her for Australian drug lord Gregor Haas, currently detained in the Philippines. In May 2024, Haas was arrested in Bogo City, Cebu, by Indonesian authorities on drug charges.
The Philippine Immigration Bureau described Haas as "a high-profile fugitive and a member of the Sinaloa drug trafficking organization, a large international organized crime group based in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, specializing in drug trafficking and money laundering."
Haas is accused by Indonesian authorities of attempting to smuggle a batch of floor tiles containing more than 5 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine into Indonesia. In Indonesia, drug smuggling carries the death penalty.
The Department of Justice has not confirmed whether it fully agrees to Indonesia's request, nor the details of how the "prisoner swap" would proceed. However, it is generally believed that Guo Huaping's case is nearing its conclusion, although her fate remains uncertain, but the Philippine government will ultimately bring her back to face various charges at institutions such as the Department of Justice, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Senate.
Indonesian extradition law stipulates that if needed, the Philippine government should "submit an extradition request to the President of Indonesia through diplomatic channels, by the foreign Minister of Justice and the competent authorities." This means that the Philippine government must request extradition from Indonesian President Joko Widodo through the Department of Foreign Affairs. Indonesian law also requires the Philippine government to provide necessary documents, such as those concerning Guo's identity and nationality, a statement of the crimes she is accused of, and a request for provisional arrest, etc.
Currently, the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are prepared and have dispatched a team to Indonesia, ready to bring Guo Huaping back, and there should be news of her return today.
