In solely 18 days, Indonesia managed to snag three high-value witnesses, trapping essentially the most hunted Alice Guo in a villa in Higher Jakarta. They did what Philippine authorities had did not do in two months.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is by no means glad, saying on Wednesday, September 4 — the day that Indonesia arrested Guo — that “all of those that are implicated in helping Alice Guo to go away the Philippines will definitely pay the worth.”
“Nakakahiya ito para sa enforcement companies natin dahil ang final look niya dito Might 22. Nearly two months siyang hinahanap dito ‘yun pala nakatakas na,” mentioned Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
(That is embarrassing for enforcement companies as a result of her final look right here was Might 22. We have been on the lookout for her for nearly two months, nevertheless it seems she had apparently already escaped.)
Trapped in Higher Jakarta
Guo entered Indonesia by way of Batam on August 18. She had arrived by way of ferryboat from Singapore with sister Shiela, and Katherine Cassandra Li Ong.
By August 19, Senator Risa Hontiveros had revealed that the Guos had fled the nation a month earlier than. It took the Indonesian authorities solely days to provide its first catch: Shiela Guo and Ong intercepted on August 21 as they tried to return to Singapore.
Alice Guo and brother Wesley managed to flee Indonesian authorities, “pero lumiit na ang mundo niya (her world acquired smaller),” mentioned Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval.
It appears, Sandoval mentioned, that from Batam, Guo hopped from one hideout to a different to keep away from being tracked by Indonesia, which at that time, was already on excessive alert.
“Mukhang ikinagulat niya ‘yung arrest niya, mukhang hindi siya handa, naka-pajama pa siya, pupungat-pungat pa when she was arrested,” mentioned Sandoval.
(It appears she was caught off-guard by her arrest, it appears to be like like she was not prepared, she was nonetheless in her pajamas and had most likely simply woke up when she was arrested.)
Guo was not with anyone on the villa. It was native police of Indonesia who caught her, not like within the case of Shiela Guo and Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, who have been apprehended by Indonesian immigration authorities.
“There have been CCTV footage of her going round. They adopted her from Batam all the way in which to Jakarta, she traveled from Batam island supposedly by airplane, as Shiela tried to return to Singapore by ferry. They have been making an attempt to check the waters, what can occur to Alice if she goes by way of Indonesian immigration,” mentioned Sandoval.
When Alice Guo didn’t attempt to cross one other border, Indonesian immigration requested the help of its native police, ultimately trapping her in that villa in Tangerang Metropolis within the Higher Jakarta area early morning of September 4. This was carried out in 18 days from when she first stepped into the nation.
What’s the inducement for Indonesia to behave as quick because it did? “They needed to take away them from their nation, I believe as a result of [Indonesia] considers them unlawful aliens,” mentioned Sandoval.
However is that every one there may be?
What does Indonesia need?
“Hindi ganun ka-simple (It’s not that easy). There are different points between Indonesia and the Philippines that must be resolved in terms of this, we’ve got many pending incidents. Baka malagay si Alice Guo sa gitna ng pending incidents para magkasundo ang lahat (Alice Guo could also be caught in the course of these pending incidents so everybody can agree),” mentioned Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla in a press convention early Wednesday afternoon.
Indonesian native media reported inside the day that their native police was requesting to “barter” Guo with Gregor Johann Haas, a suspected Australian drug cartel syndicate member who was arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Cebu final Might. Haas was on the Interpol alert as a result of there was a felony criticism filed towards him in Indonesia.
When reporters verified this with Remulla, he initially answered, “Sure, what I discussed earlier.” After we clarified if he was confirming a prisoner change request from Indonesia, Remulla withdrew his earlier reply.
Sandoval mentioned they have been nonetheless making an attempt to confirm this info. “I don’t know if it’s actually being mentioned or simply one thing that Indonesian media has floated,” mentioned Sandoval.
How Guo acquired away
On July 13, the Senate issued its warrant of arrest towards Guo for contempt as a result of she repeatedly snubbed the hearings there. She wasted no time as a result of if we have been to base it on her sister Shiela’s testimony, they left the Philppines by boat the very subsequent day, on July 14. From which level in Luzon precisely, is unclear. Notice that authorities don’t absolutely consider Shiela’s testimony on how they left the nation.
On July 14, an asset had reported seeing somebody who appears to be like very very similar to the dismissed mayor in an unique resort in Zambales, in response to the Presidential Anti-Organized Fee (PAOCC). The resort was guarded by police, in response to PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio.
“After we acquired to the resort with the Bureau of Immigration with some components of the army, we obtained info that we have been one-and-a-half hours too late as a result of they already left by speedboat,” Casio instructed the Senate final week.
Casio made a disclaimer although that due to the mismatch of intelligence from Malaysian counterparts a few supposed arrival there by airplane on July 18, and Shiela’s testimony that they arrived by boat, there’s a risk that this July 14 sighting in Zambales was a false alarm.
It took a full month for the Philippine Nationwide Police (PNP) to get a lead, after they found that on August 14, there was a booked ticket for the Guos from Singapore to Manila, however that nobody boarded that flight.
The Guos arrived in Singapore as early as July 21, from Malaysia.
When the BI obtained that info from the police on August 15, they saved it to themselves though Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco mentioned he had began sending feelers to ASEAN counterparts at this level. Even then, the Guos managed to get a ferry boat from Singapore to reach in Batam, Indonesia on August 18.
“Ang tanong ‘nyo, sino ‘yung sisibakin? Hindi lang namin sila sisibakin, kakasuhan pa namin sila dahil ang kanilang ginawa ay labag sa batas at towards the entire pursuits of the Philippine judicial system,” Marcos mentioned.
(You’re asking, who can be sacked? They gained’t simply be sacked, we are going to file prices towards them as a result of what they did is towards the legislation and towards all pursuits of the Philippine judicial system.) – Rappler.com
