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Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo attends a Senate hearing. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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SENATE HEARING- POGO

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172664317717620240917-senate-hearing-pogo-alice-guo-MD511.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo attends a Senate hearing. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</span> </span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">MANILA – The camp of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo belittled the claims of senators in this week’s hearing—from her alleged romantic relationship with Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo Calugay to her supposed involvement in money laundering. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">According to Guo’s lawyer Stephen David, senators had no concrete proof during Tuesday’s hearing. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Tinatanong nga siya (Guo), saan galing ito? Sino ito? Saan ginamit ito? Hindi nga nila alam eh,” David said. “Puro generalization yun eh. Tapos kukuhanin mo yung details sa tao, kukuhanin mo yung detalye kay Alice… Kung talagang solid yung evidence niya, ilabas mo na lang.” </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Huwag mong puwersahin ang tao. Huwag mong takutin. Huwag mong sigawan. Huwag mong ikulong-ikulong. Bigyan mo ng respeto, dangal bilang isang tao,” he added. </span></div><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/18/guo-faces-qualified-human-trafficking-case-before-pasig-court-1233">Guo faces qualified human trafficking case before Pasig court</a></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">David insisted that there was nothing wrong with invoking one’s right against self-incrimination, which Guo did a number of times during the Senate inquiry. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Hindi mo pwedeng ipilitin ang isang tao na idiin ang sarili niya,” David said. “Kasi lahat ng sasabihin niya pwedeng magamit para sa kanya o laban sa kanya sa mga kasong kinahaharap niya.”</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Sabi nila nagsisinungaling ka, hindi kami naniniwala sa iyo. Ang tanong, bakit pa siya tinatanong at bakit pa siya tinatawag kung hindi mo rin lang naman paniniwalaan, di ba?”</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/18/senate-panel-to-wrap-up-pogo-alice-guo-probe-sets-eyes-on-quiboloy-next-1239">Senate panel to wrap up POGO, Alice Guo probe, sets eyes on Quiboloy next</a></span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">David questioned the need for the testimony to be in public when lawmakers could allow Guo to testify in executive session. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Kasi ito in aid of prosecution eh. Parang gusto mo lang talaga ma-establish yung guilt nung tao,” he said. “Might as well, sabihin mo na lang sa husgado, guilty. So ano pa ang nangyari sa ating due process of law?”</span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">David said Guo would answer once she faces the court. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">As to the possibility of the Department of Justice (DOJ) filing a case against the lawyers of Guo over her questionable counter-affidavit, David reiterated the need for evidence. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Kailangan may ebidensiya sila kasi pag hindi, puwede rin silang balikan, diba?,” David said. “Puwede rin kaming mag-file ng kaso sa Ombudsman, pwede rin kami mag-file sa Supreme Court.” </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Gana Atienza Avisado Law Offices, a different law office from David’s, handled the counter-affidavit of Guo on her qualified human trafficking case which was submitted to the DOJ. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Guo said she signed the document before she left the country, answering the hanging question on how her camp filed the counter-affidavit when she had already escaped. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/17/testimony-of-alice-guos-secretary-a-puzzle-piece-in-notarization-mess-1716">Inside the brown envelope: Testimony of Alice Guo&#x27;s secretary a puzzle piece in notarization mess</a></span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian concluded Guo’s lawyers already knew she was going to flee, which her counsel Ray Ann Co denied. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">David said the only thing he knew was that the document was drafted early on.</span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>TO POST BAIL </strong></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">On Wednesday morning, the office of Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the next hearing on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) set on September 24 could be the last. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">David said they would “most likely” post bail once the Senate hearings end since the contempt order of the Senate will no longer be in place. They are not yet posting bail on Guo’s graft raps because even if they do, the Senate will only detain her in light of its arrest order. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Most likely, kung tapos na yung kanyang detention sa Senate, very most likely magpo-post siya ng bail para makalabas siya,” David said. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/17/bato-grills-alice-guo-after-former-chief-pnp-mentioned-at-senate-hearing-1858">&#x27;Kilala mo ba ako?&#x27; Bato grills Alice Guo after &#x27;former chief PNP&#x27; mentioned at Senate hearing</a></span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">He said Guo would not disappear once she posts bail. </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Di ba sinabi niya sa Senate na nung nandoon siya sa kabilang bansa, eh gusto talaga na niya sumuko,” David said. “Otherwise, magiging fugitive siya for life.” </span></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Meanwhile, as to the whereabouts of Guo’s brother, Wesley, David said he does not know and has no communication with him which is why they are worried especially after Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa broached the idea that Wesley might be with the fugitive Huang Zhiyang, Guo’s former business partner.</span></div><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/17/-magkaibigan-lang-town-mayor-denies-romantic-business-ties-with-alice-guo-1130">&#x27;Magkaibigan lang&#x27;: Town mayor denies romantic, business ties with Alice Guo</a></div>

<p>The camp of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo belittled the claims of senators in this week’s hearing—from her alleged romantic relationship with Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo Calugay to her supposed involvement in money laundering.</p>

The camp of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo belittled the claims of senators in this week’s hearing—from her alleged romantic relationship with Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo Calugay to her supposed involvement in money laundering.

‘In aid of prosecution?’ Guo lawyer says senators don't have evidence

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‘In aid of prosecution?’ Guo lawyer says senators don't have evidence

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 18, 2024 03:12 PM PHT

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