It started with a raid operation of Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO) led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission that quickly turned into the talk of the nation.
Dismissed mayor Alice Guo returns to the Philippines following her arrest in Indonesia early this month.
From her involvement with POGOs that revealed many online scams and trafficking activities of Chinese criminals, to lying about her personal information and citizenship, to being dismissed from public service, escaping and returning to the Philippines… Guo became the face of the Bamban POGO controversy.
Guo has become the subject of a series of Senate investigations of illegal POGOs surrounding the dark underbelly of the industry such as human trafficking, torture, and money laundering.
With her return, the dismissed mayor found herself in an apparent media storm embroiled in the POGO controversies re-emerged in the public eye and a quick frenzy.
Several selfie photos sharing smiles with law enforcers in Jakarta last September 5 which quickly went viral. Did Guo suddenly become a celebrity?
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and Philippine National Police chief Rommel Marbil even pose for the cameras with Guo striking a peace sign, flashing a wide smile.
What a spectacle of drama being watched by the nation. A realm where image often overshadows the substance by fueling the public’s fascination regardless of their intention.
The cheerfulness displayed in the photos even appears offensive as it brings a tendency for high-profile cases to become sensationalized rather than substantially addressed.
Simply, it shows a lack of ethics on how the matter is being handled at the highest level of government.