Inside the brown envelope: Testimony of Alice Guo's secretary a puzzle piece in notarization mess

MANILA (UPDATE) —  The testimony of Alice Guo's secretary on Tuesday (September 17) proved to be a puzzle piece that nearly completed the picture of her questionable notarization, with senators establishing a clearer timeline of the embattled mayor's escape from justice.

Facing the Senate panel investigating Guo's escape and links to illegal POGOs, her secretary Cath Salazar spoke in detail about being instructed by her boss to go to her house and find a brown envelope inside a drawer.

Inside the envelope, according to Salazar, was a piece of paper signed by Guo made to appear as the last page of a counter-affidavit.

Salazar recalled that Guo told her to attach the signed page to the actual counter-affidavit in her human trafficking case, which would become the subject of the dishonest notarization.

At that point, Salazar claimed that she had no idea as to the whereabouts of Guo, who had already fled the country.

READ: Why did Alice Guo 'avoid' China after fleeing Philippines?

"Tingin mo tama 'yung ginawa mo?" Sen. Joel Villanueva asked Salazar, referring to being complicit in Guo pre-signing a legal document.

She answered: "Your honor, iyon po 'yung instruction ni ma'am... Pasensya na po, sumunod lang po ako sa instruction ni ma'am."

Quizzed about the signed page, Guo admitted that she affixed her signature before her escape the first week of July. Senators pointed out that the notarized counter-affidavit indicated it was signed on August 14.

Asked if she actually read the counter-affidavit, Guo invoked her right against self-incrimination, citing her ongoing criminal charges.

"Ibig sabihin, noong July pa lang, noong umalis ka, hinanda mo na 'yang last page na pimardo mo para ikakabit na lang ni Ms. Cath doon sa counter-affidavit mo na later on na na-compose," committee chairperson Sen. Risa Hontiveros told Guo.

Given the new details from Salazar, senators gave the notary public who certified the counter-affidavit an opportunity to come clean. Atty. Elmer Galicia however, like Guo, opted to keep mum and invoked his right against self-incrimination.

Meanwhile, the executive assistant of Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo Calugay admitted she helped Salazar look for a notary public.

According to Cheryl Medina, Calugay’s executive assistant, Salazar called her to ask if she knew a notary public.

Salazar is the suspected doppelgänger of Guo because of their resemblance.

Medina referred Salazar to a certain “Ka Dante” who sought the services of Atty. Elmer Galicia, a notary public.

Asked why they had to ask for the help of Medina, Salazar said, that was the instruction of Guo to her.

Although they did not know where Guo was, Salazar said she got a call from the former mayor.

In “Ka Dante’s” sworn affidavit, on the other hand, he said Calugay’s personal secretary, Cherry Ordoña, called him to ask if he knew a notary public.

He agreed to help and confirmed that Guo’s other secretary, Gee Pepito, brought him the document on August 14, but said it was unsigned.

Gee supposedly went to a vehicle across the street after which a passenger who looked like Alice Guo rolled down her window and waved.

Gee then gave Ka Dante the signed document.

Salazar said, however, that Guo did not see “Ka Dante” and that the document was already signed when she got a hold of it.

 The said house Salazar went to is the house in QJJ farms in Bamban, Tarlac.

She said the signed document was in the drawer of Guo.

“Sabi niya i-attach sa last page ng affidavit niya,” Salazar said.

Guo was asked who signed the last page of the counter-affidavid and she answered, “Sinign ko last page bago umalis.”  

Guo fled on the first week of July while the affidavit was notarized on August 14.

Atty. Ray Ann Co, Guo’s counsel, said they “really had no knowledge”.

“Cath messaged us if we can forward the graft counter-affidavit to her so she can have it printed and signed by mayor,” Co added. “We had limited communication at that time.”

So why did Galicia notarize the counter-affidavit? He refused to answer.

“Biktima po ako. I invoke my right against self-incrimination,” Galicia remarked.

-with a report from Victoria Tulad, ABS-CBN News