‘200 Alice Guos’: fugitive Philippine mayor’s case stokes fears of Chinese infiltration

They could be neighbours, local officials, even elected leaders – but in reality, they may be foreign spies or criminals masquerading as Filipinos, hidden in plain sight.

With Guo still at large and the authorities uncovering hundreds of falsified birth certificates belonging to Chinese nationals, officials warn this could be scratching the surface – a troubling glimpse into how foreign actors have exploited the country’s legal and administrative vulnerabilities to burrow deep within Filipino society.

Guo’s troubles began in May, when she was linked to a raided Pogo compound in her hometown of Bamban, Tarlac. The investigation quickly zeroed-in on the murky details of Guo’s own background, including the puzzling fact that she only obtained a birth certificate at the age of 17.

After that initial finding, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said it could represent up to “200 Alice Guos, which is very concerning”. Sources within the Chinese community told him that a falsified birth certificate, passport, and driving licence could all be bought for 300,000 Philippine pesos (US$5,500), he said.

Guo’s case and the fake birth certificates found in Davao del Sur “require a much deeper scrutiny by investigators”, security analyst Ona said.

“I also believe that this could be part of an elaborate scheme with criminal and possibly malign influence intent,” Ona said.

He argued that foreign actors were taking advantage of the Philippines’ vulnerabilities and loopholes in its civil and administrative practices, adding that it was “hard to tell” how many cases like Guo’s exist.

“This has been going on for quite some time. The onus is now on our regulatory and security agencies to do the backtracking and expose these cases,” he said.

“Aside from the