PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has dismissed photographs of him and Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who is currently being investigated over suspicions about her citizenship and alleged connections to an offshore gaming operator, saying this means nothing.
In an ambush interview on the sidelines of the signing of an alliance between the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) and Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in Makati City last Saturday, the President said he has lots of photos, including selfies, with a lot of people, especially during the campaign period.
“That proves nothing. You know how many pictures I take during the campaign. Siguro isang libo sa isang araw. Lahat naman ng humihingi ng selfie hindi mo naman hini-hindian.
So, it doesn’t really mean anything (That proves nothing. You know how many pictures I took during the campaign. Probably a thousand a day. All ask for a selfie and you could not say no to that. So, it doesn’t really mean anything),” he said.
Marcos had earlier claimed that he knew all the politicians in Tarlac but did not know Guo and where she came from.
He also said that Guo should be investigated.
Guo later uploaded photos of her and the President during the campaign sorties in 2022.
Marcos said investigations on Guo are ongoing and it is still too early to conclude anything.
“We have ways to go dahil talagang hinahanap natin kung ano ba talaga ang totoo, and, as I said, there is also an ongoing investigation by the Senate. So, let’s allow the executive side and the legislative side to do their work and continue their– continue our investigation. (We have ways to go because we want to find the truth and, as I said, there is also an ongoing investigation by the Senate. So, let’s allow the executive side and the legislative side to do their work and continue their– continue our investigation),” he said.
Last Saturday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) recommended preventive suspension for Guo amid questions about her background and alleged involvement with some Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has also created a special team to determine if Guo is illegally “holding or exercising a public office.”
