Ano Ba Talaga Kuya Marcos-Fan ka din ba ni Guo Ping? Marcos: Alice’s selfie ‘part of new culture’
MANILA TIMES | ALICE’S ACCOMPLICES
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the “selfie” photo of Alice Guo with government officials that has sparked outrage was part of the country’s “new culture.”
The photo of a smiling Guo making a peace sign as she sat next to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Rommel Marbil and Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. has triggered a torrent of criticism.
But President Marcos sees nothing wrong with the photo. “I think that is part of the new culture now that they will take photos, post them, and brag that they were part of the team who arrested this person,” he said.
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“We are the Selfie Capital of the World, right? So they took a selfie. We cannot stop people from smiling anyway. So they just had a selfie. I don’t think there’s much more to it than that,” he added.
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Abalos and Marbil led a team that fetched the dismissed mayor from Indonesia, where she had fled.
Guo was also smiling in another photo of her with National Bureau of Investigation personnel inside what appeared to be a van.
Confronted about the photo by reporters after he arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) early Friday morning, Abalos said he could not see what Guo was doing “because I was looking at the camera.”
Guo, who was at the briefing, said she was happy when she saw Abalos and Marbil and that she felt “safe.”
Abalos said Guo “requested to talk to the both of us, and she said she was receiving death threats, and we assured that she should not worry about the threats, as long as she tells the truth.”
In a stinging post on Instagram, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the “arrest of a fugitive with multiple cases of human trafficking, money laundering, fake identity, gross misconduct, illegal recruitment and detention, and corruption should be made into a social event.”
Hontiveros heads a Senate committee investigating Philippine offshore gaming operators or POGOs, where Guo had testified several times.
“We want answers, not a photo shoot,” she added. “After she tried to hide from the law, Alice Guo turned this into a fan meet…. Let’s see how photogenic she is on Monday’s hearing.”
Other lawmakers were equally critical.
Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores said Guo was being given special treatment by the authorities.
“From Jakarta to NAIA, there were selfies with the wanted and suspected Guo. They treated her like a celebrity. They became fanboys and fangirls. Did they ever get ashamed at what they did?” Flores said.
“Filipino officials need to explain their behavior — behavior that does not align with how a fugitive and someone being pursued by law enforcement should be treated,” Flores said.
Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno said that “when it comes to ordinary citizens, it becomes violent, but when it comes to the rich and influential, they’re being gentle. Everyone should be equal and not biased in the eyes of the law.”
Former senator Leila de Lima said the country’s “law enforcers should show more sense than to be seen fraternizing with arrested fugitives from justice. If they cannot stop being starstruck by Alice Guo, maybe they can apply to become part of her personal entourage. They have shown as much in their videos and selfies. Remember, always be mindful and professional in performing your functions.”
But Nicasio Conti, former commissioner of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission and Presidential Commission on Good Government, and the current convenor of the Click Party-list, said there is nothing inherently wrong with taking photos, and such acts should not be misinterpreted or politicized.
Conti echoed the President’s observation that taking selfies is a deeply ingrained cultural practice.
“In the Philippines, we live in a photo-driven society. Taking pictures is a time-honored tradition, especially at public events where public officials are frequently asked for a snapshot with people they encounter. It’s important to recognize that this simple act of picture-taking is part of our culture, and there is nothing inherently wrong with it,” said Conti.
He pointed out that Republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, does not prohibit government officials from taking photographs with individuals, even those facing legal scrutiny.
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