MANILA – The Tarlac court has granted the Sen. Risa Hontiveros’ request for dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo to appear in the continuation of the Senate investigation into the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
In an order released on Saturday, Capas, Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 109 Presiding Judge Sarah Vedaña-Delos Santos has tasked the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center to bring Guo to the Senate on Monday.
“Given the critical importance of the ongoing inquiry in aid of legislation, the Court grants the Senator’s request,” stated in Delos Santos’ order, as released by Hontiveros to the public.
“Wherefore, the accused Alice Guo alias ‘Guo Hua Ping’ is allowed to attend the scheduled public hearing mentioned above provided that strict protocol be observed,” it added.
Philippine National Police spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo, for her part, said, “The PNP will follow the court order with strict observance of security protocol as ordered by the court.”
Guo lawyer Stephen David, however, said that senators should expect that the former mayor could not testify as freely because of the cases she is already facing.
“She will tell all. Ang problema lang right now, ang daming kaso. So anything na sabihin niya may be used for or against her. Kasi madaming kaso,” David said in an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo.
Guo is facing a graft case at a Capas, Tarlac court on top of the multiple counts of money laundering and trafficking complaints pending at the Department of Justice.
“Ano ang puwede niyang sabihin as a resource person.. na hindi siya mai-incriminate sa kanyang sarili sa mga criminal cases. ‘Yan ang dilemma ngayon,” David said.
David added that legislators who feel that Guo is lying in her testimony should provide evidence or present resource persons who will prove the controversial mayor wrong.
“Pero hindi ko sasabihin sa mukha mo na nagsisinungaling ka, ihaharap ko ang mga ebidensya ko o kaya huhulihin kita sa salita mo mismo na nagsisinungaling ka,” he said./PN
