SENATE minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said the Committee on Women should re-focus its investigation on the ills of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, adding the panel has been sidetracked by the controversy involving Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
“Bakit tungkol kay Mayor Guo ang hearing? Balik tayo sa POGO at magkaisa tayong lahat na paalisin na ‘yang POGO dito (Why has the investigation shifted to Mayor Guo? Let us go back to POGOs. We must unite to kick POGOs out of the country),” Pimentel said.
“Unahin natin ang POGO…POGO ang tirahin natin (We must prioritize POGOs…We must hit POGOs),” he added.
Anti-crime advocate Teresita Ang-See, in a statement, said the investigation on POGOs has been sidetracked, with Guo now the subject of the inquiry.
“The investigation has been diverted away from the POGO issue and has shifted to finding answers on government agencies responsible for proving the complicated identity of Alice Guo,” Ang-See said, adding the constitution recognizes those born to Filipino mothers as Filipino citizens.
She said Guo’s ability or inability to speak Hokkien and Mandarin “has nothing to do with her being Filipino or not.”
“Huwag naman sanang mangyari na isang araw ang mga Yaps, Cuas, Coseteng, Gatchalian, Tans, Dys at iba pang Tsinoy na may lahing Tsino at may monosyllabic surnames ay maging punterya din ng mga ganyang pagdududa dahil sa politika (I hope the Yaps, Cuas, Coseteng, Gatchalian, Tans, Dys and other Filipinos with Chinese descent and with monosyllabic surnames would not be the subject of doubts just because of politics),” she said.
“This kind of witch hunt and personal attacks are way below decency and reflects badly on the dignity of the Senate. With their budget, shouldn’t (the) Senate do their background investigation first?” she added.
NOT A WITCH HUNT
But Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said the investigation is “not an attack on Filipinos with Chinese heritage.
“The revelations about Mayor Alice Gup came out after evidence of her complicity in POGO-related crimes. At ang ibang ebidensiya galing mismo sa kanyang mga salita (And the other evidence came directly from her),” Hontiveros said in a statement.
She said the eight committee hearings so far have unearthed several illegal activities, such as the proliferation of fake documents from PhilHealth to passports.
“This just shows how Chinese syndicates have managed to obtain fraudulent Filipino identities through corrupt individuals in our government agencies. What’s worse, Mayor Guo is a public servant,” she said in a mix of Filipino and English.
She said the people should be reminded that the POGO hub raided in Bamban last March was found being used for hacking and surveillance activities against government agencies.
“Considering China’s aggressive influence operations around the world, it would be remiss if the Senate not to look into this angle,” she added.
She reiterated that racism, xenophobia and Sinophobia are unacceptable “regardless of our heritage, all law-abiding citizens should not be the subject of hate and discrimination.”
“This is not a witch hunt. This is not about politics. This is about national security, criminal activities, accountability in public service, the rights and welfare of women and children, and the structural failure of our system to regulate POGO as a business model,” she added.
