MANILA – Sual, Pangasinan mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay denies links, both romantically and in business, with dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping.
During his apperance before the Senate inquiry on illegal POGO operations on Tuesday morning, Calugay has repeatedly denied any partnership with Guo as he claimed that they were just friends.
“Magkaibigan lang po kami, hindi ko po sya girlfriend, wala kaming relasyon,” said Calugay, who claimed that he currently has a live-in partner and had been previously married.
However, Calugay admitted later in the hearing that he gave Guo bouquet of flowers during Valentines Day, February 14, when he personally went to the latter’s office to invite her for an event in Sual.
Calugay and Guo’s supposed links were unearthed during the hearing after it was learned that Calugay’s staff, Cheryl Medina, arranged the notarization of Guo’s counter-affidavit when she was already out of the country.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros then asked Calugay to explain pictures which showed him wearing Guo’s campaign shirt, and aboard a float together while campaigning in 2022.
Calugay, however, explained that Guo’s campaign shirt was only handed to him, and that he was only invited by the dismissed mayor “to show her campaign parade.”
As for the photo showing them on a float, Calugay said he invited Guo to join him in his victory caravan because the dismissed mayor asked him to join her own motorcade after winning the 2022 elections.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, for his part, also unveiled several pictures, including Calugay and Guo wearing supposed “couple shirts” and both mayor giving away almost the same bags to their student constituents.
“Tinalo nyo pa si DongYan (Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera) ah? Made-deny n’yo pa ba ito?” Estrada, the Senate President Pro Tempore, told Calugay.
Hontiveros, for her part, also revealed during the hearing that there were five business registrations in Sual that she said may be linked to the two because of the business names.
Among those were Guco Aqua Farm, Licsel Fish Farm, and Donguo Fish Farm.
“Diba karamihan po dito pinagsama-sama nyong pangalan ni Guo Hua Ping?” Hontiveros asked.
“Wala po akong ganyang negosyo po,” Calugay replied. “Trucking (lang ang negosyo ko).”
In previous hearings, Guo insisted that she has no relationship with Calugay despite being shown photos of Guo and Calugay sitting beside each other./PN
