In surprising news out of the Philippines, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has discovered that a small-town mayor shares identical fingerprints with a Chinese woman who entered the country over twenty years ago. This revelation may lead to her swift removal from public office and revocation of citizenship.
The bizarre true story unfolds in the town of Bamban in the Province of Tarlac, Philippines.
The NBI found that the elected mayor in 2022, Alice Guo, has the same fingerprints as a Chinese woman named Guo Hua Ping who arrived in the Philippines with a Chinese passport in 2003 when she was in her teens.
Senator Risa Hontiveros led the Senate inquiry into the Philippines’ online gambling operators, known as Pogos, and on Thursday, she revealed this information to the media.
“This confirms my long-held suspicion. ‘Mayor Alice’ is a fake Filipino—or perhaps I should say she is Guo Hua Ping. She is a Chinese national masquerading as a Filipino citizen, facilitating criminal activities for Pogo,” Hontiveros stated in a press release.
She further indicated that she has urged the Office of the Prosecutor to expedite the submission of a legal review application, which will determine her eligibility for holding public office based on her citizenship status.
Philippine Prosecutor Menardo Guevarra mentioned that the fingerprint results could expedite the case and are anticipated to be completed before July.
The strange turn of events began in March this year when Philippine authorities raided a gambling casino in Bamban town, uncovering evidence of various crimes such as fraud, among its 700 employees, including 202 Chinese and 73 individuals from other nations.
During the raid, authorities unexpectedly discovered bills and vehicles registered under Mayor Guo’s name. Subsequent investigations revealed that the mayor owns almost half of the area where the casino was situated.
Pogos are online gambling companies primarily catering to Chinese clients, facing allegations ranging from human trafficking to kidnapping and fraud.
Mayor Guo attended a Senate hearing in May, where she was vague about her background, claiming to be an illegitimate child, registering her birth certificate at 17, being home-schooled with no formal education records.
Previously, Guo denied all accusations of being a Chinese national, insisting that she was the illegitimate child of her Chinese father and a Filipino woman, raised on her father’s farm.
Moreover, it was revealed in June by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian that the Guo family had submitted documents to the immigration and investment commission for special investor resident visa applications.
The document indicated that Guo was born in Fujian, China, originally named Guo Hua Ping, and entered the Philippines at age 13.
Gatchalian stated, “Guo’s mockery of Philippine laws should not be taken lightly, and she should be promptly brought to justice. Those who believe Philippine identity can be bought should face severe punishment.”
Both senators did not provide details regarding the fingerprint acquisition process.
The documents obtained by the senators show that Alice Guo and Guo Hua Ping share the same birthdate, July 12, 1986, both born in Tarlac.
One document includes a photo of Guo, while the other shows a completely different woman, sparking controversy over the mayor’s identity.
The mayor was absent from the Senate hearing on the 26th, citing “malicious accusations” causing excessive stress and physical repercussions, criticizing the committee for presuming her guilt.
The senators also obtained a copy of Guo’s Chinese passport, which indicates the passport holder as a female student born on August 31, 1990, in Fujian, China.
The passport, issued in Fujian on April 3, 1999, features a photo of a young girl.
Guo’s lawyer, Stephen David, stated in an earlier radio interview that his client denies being the same Chinese girl and has no association with her.