BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR and ASHZEL HACHERO
PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday said controversial Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo should be investigated over questions on her nationality and alleged links to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) hubs in the province.
Marcos, in an ambush interview in Cagayan de Oro, said he knows the politicians in Tarlac and none of the local leaders know Guo.
“Kilala ko lahat ng mga taga-Tarlac na politiko. Walang may kilala sa kanya. Kaya nagtataka kami kung saan nanggaling ito. Bakit ganito ito? Hindi namin malaman. Kaya kailangan talagang imbestigahan (I know all the politicians from Tarlac. No one knows her. That’s why we are wondering where she came from. How did this happen? That’s why it should be investigated),” he said.
The President said a probe on Guo’s citizenship by the Bureau of Immigration and other concerned agencies should be held alongside a congressional probe.
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra earlier said he has formed a team that will determine if Guo is “ineligible” to hold public office.
Guevarra, who said the team was formed last week, added the OSG may file a quo warranto case against Guo if it finds good reason to do so.
“We are presently coordinating with various agencies to gather relevant facts and information,” Guevarra said, adding these agencies include the Commission on Elections, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Education.
Under Rule 66 of the Rules of Court, the Solicitor General or a public prosecutor may initiate the filing of a quo warranto proceedings upon the orders of the President or upon his or her initiative.
In the case of Guo, Guevarra said the OSG is gathering facts and information before filing a quo warranto on its own.
“We are doing this upon our own initiative as counsel or lawyer for the State,” he explained.
Immigration spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval earlier said the agency is prepared to submit the travel records of Guo if requested by other government agencies.
Sandoval said the BI’s central database has information and data on the travel history of foreigners and Filipinos that can be made available upon request by other government agencies for valid or legitimate concerns.
Aside from her nationality, Guo is also being questioned by the Senate over her connection with the operator of a Philippine Offshore Gaming hub in Bamban, Tarlac that was raided by the authorities last March.
The Senate Committee on Women chaired by deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros has been conducting an investigation into the human trafficking and cyber fraud operations at the raided POGO hub.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian has raised Guo’s possible involvement in the POGO operation considering there was a Sangguniang Bayan resolution indicating the mayor applied for the license to operate Hongsheng Gaming Technology Incorporated.
Gatchalian said Guo made the application when she was still a civilian.
Guo has denied any involvement with the operation of the raided POGO facility in Bamban.
The committee said Guo has links with the POGO hub since several documents, including electric bills, manpower services, and a luxury sports utility vehicle were all under her name.
It was also learned that Guo facilitated the entry of another POGO hub raided in February 2023. Both POGO hubs were at the same compound.
Hontiveros, during the last hearing, questioned the true identity of Guo, saying the mayor has a questionable background — that her birth certificate was registered only with the Philippine Statistics Authority when she was 17 and has no school records.
The committee has scheduled another hearing on May 22.
READY TO COOPERATE
Guo said she would not condone any illegal activity, more so as the protector of a POGO engaged in scamming in her area of jurisdiction.
In a statement, Guo said that soon after learning about the issues surrounding POGOs in her jurisdiction, she immediately ordered an investigation, adding she also did not block any raid conducted by authorities on the compound where the firm was situated.
“I am ready to cooperate with any investigation similar to the Senate’s investigation, in aid of legislation,” Guo said.
Guo said she does not need to get involved in POGO operations because their family had money and livelihood before she entered politics.
She said the people of Bamban would not have supported her candidacy if she was involved in any illegal activity.
Guo added she is confident she will be cleared from negative issues surrounding her because her conscience is clear.
She said the money she used in her campaign came from her family’s hog-raising business. — With Raymond Africa
