Is dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, connected to the notorious Fujian gang?
This question emerged during Thursday’s House Quad Committee hearing as Guo’s business dealings and potential links to criminal syndicates were scrutinized.
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro pointed to several suspicious links between Guo and individuals from Fujian, a region in China associated with the gang.
The Fujian gang refers to a crime syndicate similar to triads that include both immigrant gangs in Hong Kong and local networks in Fujian.
One key piece of evidence was a congratulatory poster from Manila-based Chinese businessmen, originally from Fujian, celebrating Guo’s election as the “first Chinese mayor in the Philippines” in 2022.
“This (congratulatory poster) came from businessmen here in Manila who originated from Fujian, China,” Luistro revealed.
Further concerns arose from the Bureau of Immigration records, which identified Guo as a dependent of her mother, Lin Wen Yi, also from Fujian.
Luistro also noted that two of Guo’s business partners and fellow incorporators of Bamban-based Baofu Land Development Inc.—Lin Baoying and Rujin Zhang—who were both convicted of anti-money laundering in Singapore are also from Fujian.
“Based on research, Mr. Chair, the two incorporators by the name Baoying Lin and Rujin Zhang, both convicted of anti-money laundering in Singapore, are all from Fujian, China,” Luistro told the Quad Committee, led by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.
The congresswoman questioned whether these connections were mere coincidences or indicative of Guo’s involvement in illegal activities tied to the Fujian gang. “I wonder, Mr. Chair, if these are merely coincidences?” she asked.
When asked, Guo denied any knowledge of the Fujian gang. “Your Honor, I’m not aware. First time ko po siya narinig ngayon araw (First time I heard about it only today). Thank you po,” Guo responded.
The Quad Committee’s investigation has revealed that Guo is indeed a Chinese national who exploited loopholes in Philippine legal and identification systems to set up businesses supposedly linked to illegal syndicates.
Luistro’s interpellation revealed Guo’s ties to Lin and Zhang, who were convicted of laundering $3 billion in Singapore, along with another incorporator, Huang Zhiyang, who was implicated in cybercrimes following a raid in 2023.
All four were involved in operating Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), specifically Hongsheng Gaming Technology and Zun Yuan Technology, which were linked to human trafficking and money laundering.
It was likewise discovered that Guo fraudulently obtained a Philippine birth certificate and passport through the late registration of the birth system, allowing her to run for public office and establish businesses.
“This fictitious birth certificate paved the way for Ms. Alice Guo to solicit identification cards from different government offices, including the DFA, the BIR, and the LTO,” Luistro said.
Luistro called for immediate reforms to block foreign nationals from exploiting these weaknesses and recommended that the Securities and Exchange Commission implement a stronger monitoring system to verify the legitimacy of corporations.
“The layering of various documents to make it appear that these are legitimate corporations complicates the government’s ability to verify and monitor the illegal activities of these foreign nationals,” she warned.
She also emphasized the need for stricter anti-money laundering laws, noting that illicit POGO operations thrive due to unregulated financial transactions.
“Illegal activities and illegal POGOs will not proliferate if they are not able to transfer money. So I humbly suggest as well, Mr. Chair, that we tighten our rules on anti-money laundering,” Luistro added.
The revelations surrounding Guo’s activities and her possible connections to criminal syndicates have raised serious concerns about how easily foreign nationals can manipulate Philippine systems for illegal gain.
Lawmakers are now pushing for reforms to close these loopholes and protect the country from further exploitation.
