Court orders Guo transfer to Pasig City jail

MANILA, Philippines — The legal woes of dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo are piling up, after a Pasig court ordered her transfer to the city’s jail on charges of qualified human trafficking.

Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 167 Judge Annielyn Medes-Cabelis ordered Guo transferred from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center to the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory.

The Pasig RTC set Guo’s arraignment on Sept. 27 at 8:30 a.m. through a videoconference hearing.

The judge also ordered the arrest of Guo’s co-accused: Huang Zhiyang, Rachelle Joan Carreon, Zhang Ruijin, Baoying Lin, Yu Zheng Can, Dennis Cunanan, Jamielyn Cruz, Roderick Paul Pujante, Juan Miguel Alpas, Merlie Joy Castro, Rita Yturralde, Rowena Evangelista, Thelma Laranan and Maybelline Millo, also known as “Shana Yiyi.”

In her order dated Sept. 19, the judge also ordered the transfer of Guo’s co-accused Walter Wong Long from the Tarlac Provincial Jail to the Pasig City Jail Male Dormitory.

“All the accused in these cases are not entitled to post bail as the charges against them are non-bailable,” the judge said.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said they will comply with the Pasig court’s directive and will transfer Guo after her arraignment on graft charges at a Valenzuela court.

“We will honor this court order as soon as her arraignment (in Valenzuela) is finished,” Fajardo said at a news briefing.

However, Guo remained under the custody of the PNP as of yesterday afternoon, Fajardo said in a message on Viber. She explained they were waiting for the order of the Valenzuela court.

She added if Guo would post bail on her graft charges in Valenzuela, she would be brought back to Camp Crame for standard procedures such as medical examination.

“From there, we will commit her to the Pasig RTC, assuming she posts bail,” Fajardo said.

She added the Pasig court’s order takes precedence over the directive of the court in Valenzuela.

“We have to give priority there because her case there is non-bailable,” she said.

Postponed

The arraignment of Guo on graft charges has been postponed by the Valenzuela City RTC Branch 282 due to a pending motion to quash filed in the Capas, Tarlac RTC.

Judge Elena Amano moved the arraignment to Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. to allow the prosecution to respond to the defense’s motion to quash by Sept. 25.

The arraignment will proceed once the court addresses the motion.

During the hearing, a heated debate ensued over Guo’s custody. The Valenzuela RTC panel initially ruled to transfer the dismissed mayor to the Pasig City Jail dormitory in relation to her qualified human trafficking case.

However, her defense argued for her continued detention at the PNP Custodial Center, citing her high-profile status and security concerns.

Amano later ordered Guo’s commitment to the Valenzuela Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

The defense objected and indicated plans to file for bail instead, which has now been set at P540,000, much higher than the original amount of P90,000 per graft charge.

The increased bail was due to the prosecution’s claim that Guo is a high-risk detainee.

If Guo fails to post bail, the court said that she will remain at the Valenzuela BJMP. If she secures bail, she will return to the PNP Custodial Center before being transferred to the Pasig City Jail.

Meanwhile, Stephen David, Guo’s legal representative, told reporters before the trial that his client would plead “not guilty” in the graft case.

Regarding Guo’s detention, he emphasized the need for judicial courtesy between the Valenzuela and Pasig RTCs due to the multiple charges against her.

“Considering her high-risk situation, I think it’s best to maintain her at the PNP custodial facility, where other high-risk detainees are held,” David said.

He also mentioned plans to post bail for Guo’s cases to streamline her release. However, he acknowledged that due to multiple detention orders, including one from Congress, immediate bail might not be feasible.

Ong to correctional

Meanwhile, the House quad committee has ordered a 30-day detention of Cassandra Ong at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City after she was once again cited in contempt for “lying” during a hearing on illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) on Thursday.

Ong will be moved to the Mandaluyong jail after completing her 30-day detention at the House facility on Sept. 26 from her first contempt citation. — Jose Rodel Clapano, Christine Boton, Mark Ernest Villeza, Sheila Crisostomo