The Philippine police continue to intensify their manhunt for the kidnapping and murder case involving Chinese businessman Guo Congyuan. The main suspect, a Chinese national named Wenli Gong, is still at large, with a reward of 5 million pesos for her capture. Meanwhile, her suspected family members have been arrested on Boracay Island.
Jack Wanky, the police chief of the Western Visayas region, confirmed that 40-year-old Jianhua Liang and 38-year-old Zonglian Gong were arrested at the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport on Boracay Island on April 25. They were planning to flee on a chartered flight and were charged with forging legal documents and concealing their true identities. The police suspect that they are the parents of the female suspect Wenli Gong. However, given the close age between them and Wenli Gong, the police are still verifying their true identities.
At the time of arrest, they were accompanied by three boys, believed to be Wenli Gong's sons. Police investigations revealed that this group arrived on Boracay Island on April 10, the day after the bodies of Guo Congyuan and his driver Amani Pabilio were discovered in Rorikis City, Rizal Province.
It is reported that the Gong family paid nearly 500,000 pesos through a travel agency for their itinerary and accommodation on Boracay Island. They were originally scheduled to stay until May 5, but hurriedly canceled their plans on April 21 after spotting police presence, and then attempted to leave the island by air.
Wanky noted that Wenli Gong herself might have left Boracay Island but is still within the Sixth Region (Western Visayas). The police have offered a substantial reward of 5 million pesos for information leading to her whereabouts.
Currently, the three boys are being cared for by the local social welfare department. The couple involved in the case are detained for investigation on charges of identity fraud.
Details and Background of the Main Suspect Wenli Gong
The police report indicates that Wenli Gong also uses the aliases Huang Yanling and Kelly Tan Lim. Her last known appearance was on April 21 on Boracay Island.
On the afternoon of April 25, the police in Aklan Province officially issued a reward notice for Wenli Gong, urging the public to provide clues. However, the notice did not reveal her involvement in the Guo Congyuan kidnapping case, only mentioning her wanted status for kidnapping and extortion.
According to the notice, anyone with information on Wenli Gong's whereabouts can call the designated number to report, and the police promise a reward of 5 million pesos. Meanwhile, in July 2024, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines issued a notice about a suspect also named "Wenli Gong," a Chinese national involved in an illegal detention and extortion case, who had already been arrested. Whether the two cases are related remains to be confirmed.
Additionally, insiders in the comments section of this reward notice revealed that the police had already tracked Wenli Gong's activities on Boracay Island and had gone there to pursue her.
Case Background Review
On April 20, Jean Fajardo, spokesperson for the Philippine National Police (PNP), pointed out that in the murder case of Guo Congyuan, two Chinese nationals were the main suspects on the run, one of whom was the Chinese woman who had contacted Guo and arranged the meeting. According to police investigations, the kidnappers lured Guo Congyuan to a meeting through a female contact on March 28, and the kidnapping was carried out on March 29.
Currently, the police have strengthened checkpoints in the Western Visayas region, fully committed to capturing the fugitive suspects and vowing to apprehend the mastermind as soon as possible.
