Fugitive Philippines mayor wanted over illegal online gambling allegations extradited from Indonesia

ISTANBUL

The former mayor of a town in the northern Philippines wanted for allegedly organizing illegal online gambling was extradited to her home country on Friday after being arrested in Indonesia.

Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, the former mayor of the Bamban municipality in Tarlac province, fled the Philippines in July after a Senate committee investigating illegal gambling ordered her arrest for refusing to testify, with some lawmakers accusing her of concealing her alleged Chinese nationality to run for office.

She has also been accused of spying for China.

Though Guo has denied the allegations, she is facing several charges, including human trafficking, tax evasion, and involvement in illegal gambling business.

In the capital Manila, she will be taken to the Bureau of Immigration and National Bureau of Investigation for further investigation of various other potential charges before being detained with her sister, Sheila Guo, at the Senate committee while awaiting their next hearing.

The Guo sisters may each face a maximum of 609 to 1,218 years in prison if found guilty of 87 counts of money laundering jointly filed on Aug. 30 by Filipino authorities.

ISTANBUL

The former mayor of a town in the northern Philippines wanted for allegedly organizing illegal online gambling was extradited to her home country on Friday after being arrested in Indonesia.

She has also been accused of spying for China.

Though Guo has denied the allegations, she is facing several charges, including human trafficking, tax evasion, and involvement in illegal gambling business.

The Guo sisters may each face a maximum of 609 to 1,218 years in prison if found guilty of 87 counts of money laundering jointly filed on Aug. 30 by Filipino authorities.