Windows26: Weekend Roundup: Alice Guo is Chinese, vindication of De Lima, and more

Hello, reader!

This week, we covered the NBI's revelation that Bamban Mayor Alice Guo is a Chinese national, former Sen. Leila de Lima's vindication, and the search for the next P-pop girl group by SB19's 1Z Entertainment.

This is your Weekend Roundup, your weekly fix for everything you need to catch up.

'FAKE FILIPINO'

Alice Guo is Chinese

One of the biggest stories this week was the revelation of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo's real identity after her records matched with Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping. In a statement on Thursday, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed that Mayor Guo and Guo Hua Ping's fingerprints matched.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said: "Guo Hua Ping's mockery of Philippine laws should not be taken lightly, and she should be brought to the bar of justice as soon as possible." Hontiveros also added that prior to deportation, the embattled former mayor needs to serve a sentence in the Philippines if convicted.

For quick context, this Guo saga began after a series of Senate investigations in May 2024, initially looking into Pogo-related crimes in Bamban, Tarlac, but more suspicious activities linked to the mayor herself were unearthed later on.

Guo underwent intense interrogation during the probe and was scrutinized for giving dubious and inconsistent responses, especially about her parents—a crucial piece of information that determines her citizenship. She was then suspended as mayor on June 3, and a non-bailable offense of qualified human trafficking was filed against her on June 21.

COMPLETELY FREE

De Lima vindicated

Another significant story last week was the vindication of former Sen. Leila de Lima, who was cleared of her third and final drug charge filed by the previous administration. De Lima, a fierce critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs, had this to say to her nemesis: "[Y]ou will now be held accountable for your sins against the people."

INQFOCUS

PISA, waste-to-energy

Check out Kurt Dela Peña's in-depth reports: "PISA results mirror PH education's lost days, 'grave crisis'" and "Love knows no gender: The imperfect world of queers." Cristina Eloisa Baclig also wrote on "Waste-to-energy: The perils for human health, environment."

ON MY RADAR

Ten must-reads

Marcos: Ayungin incident not an armed attack but deliberate, illegal
West Philippine Sea: US tells China that PH support is 'ironclad'
A raspy Biden tries at debate to confront Trump, who responds with falsehoods
SB19's 1Z Entertainment eyes P-pop's next big girl group
Catriona Gray thankful for 'new beginning with Jesus' after water baptism
These are the newest must-try restaurants around Tagaytay
Stop calling your LGBTQIA+ friends 'sayang'
You can watch Lea Salonga and Dolly De Leon on stage in Manila this October
Filipino photojournalist Ezra Acayan named Getty's News Photographer of the Year for Asia Pacific
Column of the Week: What an education secretary should not be

WATCH: Saving PH waters: Volunteer group's cleanup drive revitalizes waterways

A group of volunteers, called The Locals Pinas, is on a mission to visit every region in the Philippines to clean up the country's polluted waterways. Learn more about their advocacy in this video.

Thanks for reading our Weekend Roundup, reader! See you again next week. For suggestions and feedback, please reach out to me at newsletter@inquirer.net.

Regards,

Samuel Yap

Digital Content Distribution

June 29, 2024

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