Gatchalian: 2 Chinese, Singaporean helped Guo escape

AT least two Chinese men and a Singaporean connected to the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) industry helped dismissed mayor Alice Guo, aka Guo Hua Ping, escape last July, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said yesterday.

Gatchalian identified the three as Huang Zhiyang, said to be the “boss of all bosses” of the illegal POGO industry; Duanren Wu, allegedly connected to the Lucky South 99 Company that operated the POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga; and Zhang Jie, a Singaporean who is the former president of Lucky South 99 wanted for fraud in his country.

Gatchalian said the three facilitated Guo’s escape that took her and her siblings to Malaysia and then to Indonesia, where she was arrested last week.

Gatchalian said Huang also has links to the illegal POGO hubs in Bamban, Tarlac; Porac, Pampanga; and Sun Valley in Fontana, Clark, also in Pampanga.

“Obviously, he [Huang] played a big role in the escape of Guo Hua Ping. His name has been coming out in the escape of Guo Hua Ping to Malaysia and Indonesia. The same goes with Duanren Wu. I have seen a report that Duanren Wu was involved in her escape,” Gatchalian said in a press conference.

He said Zhang provided hotel accommodation for Guo and her siblings, Shiela and Wesley.

Gatchalian said he also has information that Wu was one of the “active personalities” in a group also involved in illegal operations in other Southeast Asian countries.

He said the three had long left the country, adding Huang had left Taiwan and is now in Hong Kong. Huang is the holder of five passports.

He said the three needed to be charged and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) informed so their movement could be limited.

Gatchalian added that he also received information that some Filipinos helped Guo escape but the info has yet to be verified.

The camp of Alice Guo has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to junk the material misrepresentation complaint filed by the poll body’s Law Department, citing its supposed reliance on questionable evidence.

In her nine-page counter-affidavit submitted yesterday, Guo said the Comelec has to dismiss the complaint filed last August 8 as a result of the fact-finding