Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco vowed to work closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the Alice Guo case.
Tansingco, who attended a press conference held at the NBI’s headquarters in Quezon City on Friday, shared the collaborative work of the BI, NBI, and DOJ on the successful return of Shiela Guo and Cassandra Li Ong.
The duo arrived last August 22 after being removed by Indonesian immigration authorities and returned to the Philippines.
The BI submitted a report on their initial findings to the DOJ. Afterwich, a case conference was held among the three agencies prior to the arrival of Shiela and Ong to harmonize actions on the case, including the retrieval process for the two from Indonesia.
Tansingco also expressed his appreciation for the valuable assistance provided by the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration, which played a crucial role in the return and apprehension of the two.
The press conference was also graced by DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano and NBI Director Jaime Santiago, who provided updates on the Guo case.
Currently, both Sheila and Ong are under the custody of the NBI. Guo faces a deportation case with the BI for undesirability and possible misrepresentation as a Filipino national. Shiela was found to have a valid Chinese passport under the name Zhang Mier.
Meanwhile, Ong, being a Filipino citizen, was arrested by the NBI on charges related to a possible criminal case.
Tansingco clarified that if confirmed that Shiela indeed fraudulently acquired her Philippine documents, she will be deported to China as she also holds a valid Chinese passport valid until 2031. Her actual deportation, however, will be suspended pending resolution of all her criminal cases and other liabilities in the country.
Both Shiela and Ong are expected to remain in the custody of the NBI until the next Senate and House of Representatives committee hearings where they will be presented.
