Alice Guo’s case has ignited fears of Beijing's espionage.
This photo taken on July 19 shows a poster showing support for then mayor Alice Leal Guo in Bamban, Philllipines.
This photo taken on July 19 shows a poster showing support for then mayor Alice Leal Guo in Bamban, Philllipines. Jam Sta Rosa/AFP via Getty Images
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Alice Guo won the 2022 mayoral elections in Bamban, a rural town in the Philippines with a population of around 78,000 people that’s sandwiched between several key military bases. The independent candidate became a popular young mayor and rising political star, expressing support for the since-fractured alliance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.
Now, Guo is in police custody, accused of cybercrimes and being a Chinese spy whose mayoral campaign was allegedly organized by Chinese state officials. She has pled not guilty.
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Nick Aspinwall is a journalist based in New York. X: @Nick1Aspinwall