Selfies with Alice Guo: Media ok with highly irregular arrest

WHEN NEWS broke that Indonesian law enforcement apprehended dismissed Bamban Mayor in Tangerang City on September 4, media reported that Benhur Abalos, Interior Secretary, and General Rommel Marbil, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), went to fetch her on a chartered flight. Operatives from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) joined the two officials.

The operation caused public criticism when photos released by the NBI and PNP showed the officials escorting Guo beaming with smiles, as though they were privileged to be in the company of the fugitive. Guo herself posed gleefully, doing peace signs in the company of Abalos and Marbil.

The pictures were published without reference to Guo’s smiling escorts. Netizens however reacted with anger, criticizing the officers for their inappropriate smiles.  They had nothing to do with the arrest, for which their counterparts in Indonesia should take full credit. Guo escaped from the Philippines through the southern route, from Malaysia to Singapore to Indonesia. 

TV reports focus on Guo’s happiness 

Filipino reporters flew to Indonesia  on September 5 to report the official turnover of Guo to Philippine authorities. Reporting live from the Philippine embassy in Indonesia, John Consulta of GMA-7, Zyann Ambrosio of ABS-CBN, and Reiniel Pawid of TV5 all noted that Guo had a “happy” demeanor before she departed for her flight to Manila, showing footage of Philippine officials first meeting with Guo. 

Of the three newscasts, only 24 Oras showed footage of Alice Guo smiling happily as people posed with her for photos. Consulta reported that Indonesian authorities asked for selfies with Guo first, then operatives from NBI and BI followed suit. 

Consulta added that the representatives from NBI and BI treated Guo like a “rockstar” although he did not make any comment on the behavior as inappropriate.

The three newscasts did not refer to the photos going viral on social media nor to any public criticism of the smiling officers. In one photo that the NBI itself posted, Guo was seen inside the vehicle that took her to Indonesian immigration, flanked by the apprehending team who, like Guo, were also smiling at the camera. In another, the PNP showed Guo in a room seated between Abalos and Marbil, all three smiling and Guo gesturing with a “peace” sign.  

No notes from print

The September 6 edition of Manila-based broadsheets included senators complaining about the officers’ smiles when they first broke the news of Guo’s return to the country. 

Both the Philippine Daily Inquirer and The Philippine Star featured the photos with the arresting team on their front pages. The captions for both also focused on Guo’s demeanor, without any note on how authorities shared her cheer with beaming smiles.

Why is everyone happy?

Following the backlash from netizens, some online media and broadcast reports picked up the apologies issued by agencies involved. News accounts also included Abalos’ explanation that the photos were taken for documentation purposes and no one expected Guo’s distracting conduct.

Rappler‘s report on September 6 included an analytical note: “It doesn’t take a genius to guess the narrative that Abalos wanted highlighted during his first press conference with Guo upon their arrival in Manila: that he and other officials went the extra mile to secure the custody of Guo, as they raced against time to make sure that Indonesian authorities wouldn’t let her go before they get (sic) to Jakarta.”

Rappler included Abalos’ complaint that the criticisms were “unfair” because they worked hard to facilitate Guo’s turnover.

Sure, it was good to have Guo in the country so she could be held accountable under Philippine jurisdiction. President Marcos was fine with the smiling officers, telling reporters in an ambush interview that selfies are now part of Philippine culture and that the arresting team just might have been proud of their accomplishment. 

Amid all the cheer and self-congratulations, the media did not emphasize as they should have that it was, in fact, the Indonesian government that did the heavy lifting. It was embarrassing enough that the Philippine government let two months pass without apprehending Guo, only to announce that she had already fled the country. All that was left for Philippine authorities to do was to fetch her so she could face the criminal charges which were filed just before her flight landed in the Manila.

Without noting the inappropriate smiles and the role of the Indonesian authorities, media were complicit with local officials in creating the false impression with their smiles. Simply speaking, the police were pleased to be in the public light, period. The conduct and demeanor of local authorities escorting Guo as shown in the photos failed to reflect the reality – Philippine authorities had allowed her to flee and the Indonesians redeemed the situation. 

Media should have at least included some mention of the failure Philippine authorities, noting how inappropriate that these escorts had little reason to smile for the camera.