Alice Guo’s escape prompts PCG to review pre-departure rules

MANILA, Philippines — Following the escape of Alice Guo, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is considering changing its regulations to include pre-departure inspection (PDI) for non-common carriers.

Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban town in Tarlac County, confirmed that he had travelled to Malaysia by yacht in July.

Her case was raised by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III during Tuesday’s Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing on the proposed Department of Transportation (DOTr) budget for fiscal 2025.

READ: Alice Guo reveals she escaped from the Philippines on a yacht

PCG is an agency under the Department of Transportation.

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“Let’s assume that they also sailed away on a yacht, a small boat to a large boat… Is it possible to do something with the PCG? To intercept nyo ba dapat yun?” Pimentel asked.

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(Let’s assume it’s true that they sailed away on a yacht, from a small boat to a large boat… Should PCG have had a hand in that? Should you have intercepted it?)

In response, PCG Commander Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan noted that under the existing Pre-Departure Inspection (PDI) Circular, “vessels that are not public carriers are not included in PDI.”

READ: Shiela Guo Confirms Fleeing Philippines with Siblings Alice and Wesley by Boat

“And that is why we are now revising the circular, Your Majesty, so that the Coast Guard can take part in enforcing the regulations on these types of vessels,” Gavan said.

According to the head of PCG, the implementation of PDI will now also cover carriers other than public carriers.

Gavan added that PCG plans to have the amended regulations ready for implementation by October.

“And you have a legal basis to do that?” Pimentel asked, to which Gavan replied in the affirmative.

“So you don’t need the law?” the senator asked again.

And when Gavan again answered his question in the affirmative, Pimentel noted that the PCG may have revised its circular even before the Guo incident.

“Why do we need the Alice Guo incident so that we can predict such a scenario and then desire it?” the senator asked.

Finally, Pimentel thanked Gavan for his honesty.

“There is no shortage of legal grounds for the Philippine Coast Guard to take action. It’s just that their regulations say siguro hindi nila, so let nakakita nung butas and I am sure that hindi lang sila ang gumamit ng butas na yan,” he said.

(There is no shortage of legal grounds for the Philippine Coast Guard to operate. It may just be that their regulations did not provide for it, so someone saw a loophole, and I am sure they are not the only ones who took advantage of it)

“So the borders are porous, the borders are porous, the coastlines are porous… I hope the Philippine Coast Guard will share their findings with other agencies…” the senator continued.

(Our borders, our boundaries, our coastlines are so porous… I hope the Philippine Coast Guard will share this reflection with other agencies…)

Guo was under investigation by the Senate Committee on Women over her alleged ties to the Philippine Gaming Operators Hub in her home town of Bamban.

The Senate ordered her arrest in July for repeatedly failing to respond to the investigation, but she was not arrested until September 4 in Indonesia. She is currently in the custody of the Philippine National Police.