A question of credibility

THE local chief executive who was investigated for her involvement in Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) and implicated in several counts of money laundering, qualified human trafficking and tax evasion caused a "national and global shame" when she fled the country on July 18, 2024. Without saying her escape could not have been possible without some government officials abetting her, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. swore that "heads will roll." He said the "departure of Alice Guo has laid bare the corruption that undermines our justice system and erodes public trust."

Guo was last seen in public on May 22. When a warrant of arrest was issued by the Senate Committee on Women, security and law enforcement agencies hunted her down. But she was nowhere to be found. The next time that clear photos and videos of her went viral was when she was collared by Indonesian police in Tangerang City, near Jakarta, just before midnight of September 2.