BI still 'clueless' about Alice Guo's escape route

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has still "no idea" how dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo escaped from the Philippines barely six months after authorities brought her back to the country.

This was disclosed at Senate justice and human rights subcommittee hearing on Tuesday after Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairman of the panel, asked the BI for updates on its investigation on Guo, who has the same fingerprints as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping.

"Pagtakas ni Guo Hua Ping, sinabi ng Presidente heads will roll, may update na ba sa internal investigation naman sa BI sa mga opisyal na maaaring sangkot o kasabwat sa pagtakas ni Guo Hua Ping?" Hontiveros asked.

BI Intelligence Division chief Fortunato Manahan repeatedly answered the senator that he will check with other offices about updates on the internal investigation.

"As far as I'm concerned, ma'am, wala po akong alam kasi may ibang offices din po kasing ano in charge which is the Board of Discipline, or BOD... who conducts also investigation when it comes to personal matters," he said.

However, the senator pointed out that the intelligence division should be aware of matters like this.

"'Di ko ma-imagine na may intelligence division ng ano pa mang institusyon dito who would be totally unaware kung merong internal investigation lalo na apat na buwan na po mula nung huling itanong ito. Again, medyo magto-throw up ng hands ang subcommittee sa ganyang status," Hontiveros quipped.

"I mean, what is the BI doing if not finding out paano nakatakas si Guo Hua Ping, then at the very least finding out kung meron ba at kung meron kung sino ang kasabwat sa loob ng bureau," she went on.

Hontiveros then asked if the BI already had information on Guo's exit point in the Philippines.

"But does the bureau even know kung saang border umalis si Guo Hua Ping saang border dito sa Pilipinas?" she asked.

Manahan said the BI will submit a compliance report to the panel, admitting that they do not have the answers at the moment.

"I'm sorry. As of this time, we don’t have any info kung saang ports o subports nakatakas sila Guo siblings, madam chair," Mahanan said.

This answer has earned the ire of the senator.

"So we don’t know anything? Four months later, more than 4 months later kung paano sila nakatakas, kung may tumulong ba sa kanilang mga opisyal o kawani ng gobyerno natin pati sa BI kung saang port o coast man lang ng archipelago natin sila tumakas?" Hontiveros said.

Mahanan vowed to submit the report as soon as possible, but Hontiveros is in disbelief as she noted that this was BI's same answer when the panel launched the investigation in 2024.

"The soon as possible was last year, director . Paulit-ulit po 'yang ganyang 'we will submit', ano. Ang haba po ng pasensya ng subcommittee na ito at ng mga myembro at ng chair. Kung ako kayo, 'Nakakainis 'yung ibang mga bureau of immigration ng ibang mga bansa, wala man lang maibigay na maayos na sagot,' it is totally unacceptable," Hontiveros remarked.

'Ultmatum'

Instead of wrapping up the hearing on Tuesday, Hontiveros was forced to extend it as she gave an ultimatum of 15 days to the BI.

"To [BI] Commissioner [Joel Anthony] Viado of the Bureau of Immigration, with all due respect, please consider this an ultimatum," she said.

"If no satisfactory answers on these matters are provided by the BI within 15 days- as designated chair of this Subcommittee of the Committee of Justice, I will call for a revamp of the BI in the committee report of this subcommittee. A revamp starting from the Commissioner himself," Hontiveros strongly stated.

Hontiveros noted the BI's apparent lack of interest in finding out the facts on Guo's escape.

"Hindi katanggap-tanggap ang sagot ng Bureau of Immigration na parang ‘your honor, hindi ko po alam.’ May sumubok na po niyan. Halos kalahating-taon na po ang lumipas at hanggang ngayon ay wala pa ring sagot. At ang mas nakakabahala pa- parang kulang na kulang interes na hanapin ang sagot at tukuyin ang katotohanan sa nangyari. That’s very bothersome on our part," she said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News