Photo credit: Senator Risa Hontiveros

Senator Risa Hontiveros has made serious allegations against Mayor Alice Guo, claiming that she has connections with individuals involved in criminal activities. According to Hontiveros, Guo's former company, Baofu, included incorporators Zhang Ruijin and Baoying Lin, who were arrested in connection with the largest money laundering case in Singapore.

In Baofu’s 2019 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents, the incorporators listed were Mayor Alice Guo, Filipino national Rachel Joan Malonzo Carreon, Cypriot national Zhiyang Huang, Chinese national Zhang Ruijin, and Dominican national Baoying Lin. Zhang Ruijin was convicted last month for his involvement in this significant money laundering case, possessing $41 million in overseas assets, including shareholdings in a Philippine real estate development company. Baoying Lin also faces charges related to the case.

Senator Hontiveros questioned Mayor Guo's associations, pointing out that these individuals might have supported her 2022 electoral campaign. "These criminal and fugitive friends—are these the people she’s referring to?" Hontiveros asked. Despite Mayor Guo's claim that she divested from Baofu before running for office, Hontiveros emphasized that the connection to these criminals remains problematic. "Did she run for mayor to protect her friends?" Hontiveros speculated, highlighting concerns about Guo's motivations and affiliations.