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The original was posted on /r/worldnews by /u/Illustrious_Diver_37 on 2024-07-15 13:30:45+00:00.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A small town mayor in the Philippines who has been accused of being a Chinese spy has gone into hiding, officials said.
Scam centres were uncovered in Ms Guo’s town of Bamban in March, concealed in online casinos that cater to mainland Chinese.Her story has played out like a TV drama, as she had also been questioned on her Chinese parentage and suspicions that she was working as an “asset” or spy for Beijing.Ms Guo’s case has gripped the nation as Manila and Beijing continue to spar over reefs and outcrops in the South China Sea.The Senate ordered the arrest of Ms Guo and some members of her family last Friday after she twice snubbed summons to appear in hearings on the scam centres.
She claims her Chinese father and Filipina mother raised her on their pig farm.But Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who is part of the investigation, claims Ms Guo is a Chinese national whose real name is Guo Hua Ping, based on immigration records.
On the day the arrest warrant was signed, Ms Guo posted a statement on Facebook, addressing her constituents and alluding to the fact that she would not be around.
I love the Philippines very much," she said.Ms Guo’s lawyer, Nicole Jamilla, told local television that her client would “definitely” cooperate with official investigations.Aside from the investigation by the Senate, Ms Guo is the subject of a separate anti-graft probe that has led to her suspension.The scam centres in Bamban have underscored how online casinos or Pogos (Philippine Online Gaming Operations) have been used as cover for text scams, human trafficking and other criminal activities.Crime rings hiding beneath Pogos have even gone to the extent of building hospitals that provide cosmetic surgery to fugitives who want new faces.Pogos flourished during the tenure of Rodrigo Duterte, whose presidency, which ended in 2022, was marked by close ties to China.But under current president Ferdinand Marcos, Pogos have come under close scrutiny.If proven that she is a Chinese citizen, Ms Guo would be not be eligible to serve as mayor.
Only Filipino citizens are allowed to hold elective office.But this does not matter to her constituents who benefit from her social outreach programmes, that are widely documented on her social media pages.Ms Guo “brought change” to Bamban, and its people are thankful, resident Erica Miclat told ANC television.
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