September 23, 2024 | 5:37pm
MANILA, Philippines — Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo can breathe a sigh of relief after physicians found that she tested negative for tuberculosis, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said.
The jail bureau released the result of her sputum or saliva test to the press on Monday afternoon, September 23, after an initial report indicated that the dismissed mayor had an infection in her left lung.
Earlier, Philippine National Police (PNP) Spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said that a possible lung infection has been observed on Guo before her transfer to the Pasig City jail female dormitory.
In an ambush interview with the members of the press on Monday, Fajardo said that the Guo’s x-ray revealed the possible health predicament.
“Once the BJMP receives Alice Guo, they will not have the authority to determine how to manage the possible infection she may have,” Fajardo said in Filipino.
Fajardo added that the cause of the infection is unknown and that Guo did not show signs of infection when she was last checked on September 20.
“The possible and suspected infection was detected through a chest X-ray. She has a slight cold, and earlier at the hospital, she seemed to be coughing a little,” the PNP spokesperson said.
Guo has been transferred to the BJMP facility in Pasig City following the order of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 167 issued on September 19 to apprehend the dismissed mayor.
Prior to the transfer, Guo was in the custody of the PNP in its custodial center in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Guo’s non-bailable trafficking in persons case, filed by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group last June, will be heard in the Pasig Court.
Other cases
The dismissed mayor has been identified as a key figure in illegal activities linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), with evidence suggesting her involvement in scams and human trafficking.
She is connected to these operations through her part-ownership of Baofu Land Development Inc., which leased land in two POGO hubs in Bamban that were later raided.
Guo’s growing legal battles have resulted in a custody dispute, with multiple courts asserting jurisdiction over her as she faces numerous charges.
The Senate initially issued the first warrant for her arrest, but she fled the country in July despite being on an immigration lookout bulletin. The dismissed mayor was later captured by Indonesian authorities and returned to the Philippines.
Before her return, a court in Capas, Tarlac issued a warrant for her arrest on graft charges, which was later transferred to a court in Valenzuela City. She posted bail on graft charges.
In addition to the human trafficking and graft charges, Guo is expected to face other cases, including tax evasion.
She is also a co-accused in a money laundering case involving Lucky South 99 incorporator Cassandra Ong.
The Solicitor General is pursuing a petition challenging the legitimacy of her mayoralty and the authenticity of her birth certificates. — with reports from Jean Mangaluz
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