A photo of a Norway Chess champion on Facebook went viral as Filipinos see the resemblance between the winner and a controversial mayor in the Philippines.
Ju Wenjun, a Chinese chess grandmaster, made remarkable history for Norway as she became the first female chess champ against another world champion challenger Lei Tingjie.
Commemorating her victory, Chess.com posted a photo of her via Facebook on Saturday, which eventually found its way to the Filipino community.
A few Pinoys left nearly 3,000 reactions to the photo and several comments stating that Wenjun looks like Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
One Facebook user quipped, “Congratulations for growing up in the farm, your honor!”
“Grabe! From Pogo to Chess! Amazing!” said another in jest.
Meanwhile, online users in the comment section of the post attempted to explain the thread of jokes made by Filipinos. Some even sent apologies on behalf of the majority who found the post funny.
“They’re probably wondering about these comments and unusual number of shares,” one commenter remarked.
“Congratulations Ju Wenjun! And also I apologize for the disrespectful comments of my fellow Filipinos. So proud to see a women’s chess champion!” an online user interjected.
While Norway continues to honor its first female chess winner, online users from the Philippines continue to talk about Guo following numerous Senate hearings tackling her background and her ties to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) hubs in Bamban.
The probe into POGO and Guo’s background has raised several speculations about the latter’s potential involvement in espionage.
READ: Pinoys call for Comelec’s attention amid Senate hearing revelations about Alice Guo
Guo then made online buzz for her response “Hindi ko na po maalala, Your honor” in response to Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros’ questions about her background.
This line has spawned memes created by online users and garnered public interest, as many looked forward to watching the Senate inquiries that Alice is anticipated to attend.
READ: POGO probe with Bamban Mayor Alice Guo gives birth to ‘your honor, hindi ko na po maalala’ memes | Looking for a new series to watch? Pinoys suggest Senate hearings
Guo has since denied the allegations of POGO ties as well as the speculations of being a “Chinese spy” and claimed that she is that she is a love child of her father and a house helper.
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Meanwhile, on Monday, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation reminded Filipinos that there are legitimate POGOs who are licensed are complying with government standards. It said that licensed POGOs are intensely monitored by legal regulators.
