Reported by Mikhail Flores,  Neil Jerome Morales and Ananda Teresia

Indonesia will deport to the Philippines a fugitive former mayor accused of ties to Chinese criminal syndicates and money-laundering to the tune of more than 100 million pesos ($1.8 million), Jakarta’s law minister said on Wednesday.

Alice Guo, also known as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, is wanted by the Philippine Senate for refusing to appear before a congressional investigation into the alleged criminal ties.

Guo, who says she is a natural-born Philippine citizen, has denied the accusations, calling them “malicious”.

The Indonesian minister said Guo would be deported to the Philippines, but the timing of her return had yet to be fixed.

“(The timing) depends on the police investigation results,” the minister, Supratman Andi Agtas, told Reuters.

Guo was arrested along with a Chinese monk and was helped by a former Chinese police officer during her escape from the Philippines, Supratman said, but gave no details.

Her lawyer of record, Stephen David, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The case comes at a time of growing suspicion in the Philippines about China’s activities, amid increasingly tense disputes over their claims in the busy waterway of the South China Sea.

Read full report: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/fugitive-ex-mayor-philippines-arrested-indonesia-manila-says-2024-09-04/