A former Philippine mayor accused of spying for China and evading capture for weeks has been arrested in Indonesia. Alice Guo, who disappeared in July amid an investigation into her alleged involvement in criminal activities, has been pursued by Philippine authorities across four countries. She faces accusations of protecting online casinos in Bamban, her hometown, which allegedly served as fronts for scam centers and human trafficking operations. Guo denies these allegations.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that Guo would be extradited to the Philippines as soon as Wednesday, describing her arrest as a warning to others attempting to evade justice.

Guo claimed to have grown up on a family farm with her Chinese father and Filipina mother. However, Philippine MPs investigating the scam operations alleged that her fingerprints matched those of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping, whom they accused of being a spy aiding criminal gangs. Her case has drawn significant attention as tensions between Manila and Beijing persist over the South China Sea, although China has not commented on the allegations.

Authorities believe Guo slipped past border controls in July, traveling by boat through Malaysia and Singapore before being arrested on Tuesday near Jakarta. President Marcos emphasized that her arrest demonstrates the long reach of the law.

The case gained national attention after authorities uncovered a large scam center in Bamban in March, disguised as an online casino operation, locally known as Philippine Online Gaming Operations (Pogos). These Pogos, catering to clients in China where gambling is illegal, were suspected of being used as fronts for organized crime. The revelation led President Marcos to outlaw Pogos, reversing the policies of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who had fostered close ties with China.

During the raid on the scam center, police rescued nearly 700 workers, including 202 Chinese nationals and 73 other foreigners who had been forced into scam operations. A Senate investigation that followed focused on Guo's inability to detect the scam center's operations, located near her office. Senators also questioned her background, with some suspecting her of being a Chinese spy.

Despite Guo’s claims that her low profile was due to her being the illegitimate child of her father and his maid, public controversy continued. After she failed to appear at subsequent hearings, the Senate ordered her arrest in July. By then, however, Guo had disappeared, and an anti-graft body eventually removed her from office.

In August, Filipino authorities reported that Guo had fled the country, traveling through Singapore and Malaysia before reaching Indonesia. One official speculated she might be heading for the Golden Triangle, a notorious hideout for organized crime in mainland Southeast Asia. President Marcos, angered by her escape, ordered her Philippine passport canceled and warned of severe consequences, citing the incident as evidence of corruption undermining the justice system and eroding public trust.