LIVE: Senate hearing on Alice Guo’s escape, POGOs for September 24
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality with the Committees on Migrant Workers, and Public Order and Dangerous Drugs is continuing the inquiry into the escape of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo on Tuesday morning, September 24,
Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros is leading the investigation expected to wrap up on Tuesday.
Last week, Guo and her alleged boyfriend Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo Calugay attended the hearing. The two denied their romantic and business ties after senators presented documents and photos linking them, saying they are just friends.
Hontiveros said there are five farm business registrations that appeared to be registered after the two mayors’ names. These are AC Aqua Farm, Dee Aqua Farm, Licsel Fish Farm, Donguo Fish Farm and Guco Aqua Farm.
At the previous hearing, it was also revealed that Guo signed the last page of her counter-affidavit on the human trafficking case even before she fled the country Iate July. The counter-affidavit was filed mid-August while Guo was out of the country.
It also appeared that Guo, through her assistant, sought help from Calugay’s staff to have the counter-affidavit notarized. Those who allegedly assisted Guo, however, denied knowing that Guo’s order was made while she was out of the country.
Aside from Guo and Calugay, Cassandra Li Ong, an incorporator of Whirlwind Corp., the company that leased the land to the raided Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, also attended the September 17 Senate hearing.
Ong, girlfriend of Guo’s purported brother, Wesley Guo, was with Guo siblings Wesley, and Shiela Guo, when they fled the country. Ong was arrested with Shiela in August.
At the hearing, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada questioned the veracity of Ong’s birth conditions, citing that the place of birth indicated in Ong’s certificate of live birth is an address that does not exist in San Juan City. Estrada is a former longtime mayor of San Juan.
There is also no record of a marriage certificate between Ong’s parents, despite her birth certificate indicating they were married.
Before Ong, Guo’s citizenship was also questioned by senator, which later learned that she matches with Chinese national, Guo Hua Ping.
Additionally, as the Senate hearing centers on Guo’s alleged ties to POGO, one of the highlights of the September 17 hearing was the statement of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Senior Vice President for the Security and Monitoring Cluster Raul Villanueva Raul Villanueva, who said that there was intel that a former Philippine National Police chief helped Guo escape the country.
Villanueva said there were whispers that the unnamed PNP chief is receiving “payola” or payment from Guo.
Sen. Bato dela Rosa, a former PNP chief under the Duterte admin, who was present at the hearing took the opportunity to deny that he was the police head tied to POGOs.
Watch the Senate hearing at 9 a.m.
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