Malaysia lacks cooperation on Guo's escape investigation

The Malaysian government is not cooperating with the Philippines regarding the escape of former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. Philippine Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla reported that Malaysia has not provided any information needed for the investigation into how Guo left Manila for Kuala Lumpur last year. Remulla called this situation unusual. He explained that Malaysia was expected to share details about flights and passengers in their airspace but has chosen not to cooperate. He noted that typically, countries exchange immigration information freely, but Malaysia has been unresponsive. Guo, also called Guo Hua Ping, left the Philippines in July 2024 when there were ongoing inquiries into her alleged connections to a gaming operator. The Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines admitted they are still trying to understand how she escaped unnoticed. Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed that Guo left the country using her Philippine passport on July 18. After her escape, she traveled to Singapore to meet family members and a business associate. In a Senate hearing, a Bureau of Immigration official mentioned they have not received replies to letters sent to various countries, including Malaysia, as part of the ongoing investigation.