'Lying' Alice Guo cited in contempt anew as Senate seeks custody
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'Lying' Alice Guo cited in contempt anew as Senate seeks custody
Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,
ABS-CBN News
Published Sep 09, 2024 12:53 PM PHT
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Updated Sep 09, 2024 02:35 PM PHT
Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo attends the Senate hearing of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. Office of Sen. Risa Hontiveros
Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo attends the Senate hearing of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. Office of Sen. Risa HontiverosMANILA — A Senate panel on Monday cited in contempt dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo for allegedly lying repeatedly about her real identity.
• Fingerprints of Alice Guo, Guo Hua Ping match
"The chair cites Alice Guo or Guo Hua Ping in contempt for testifying falsely and evasively before this committee," said Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality leading the probe.
• 'Binalahura mo ang sambayanan': Alice Guo faces fuming senators after escaping probe
This is the second time to panel cited Guo in contempt. The first one was in July due to her repeated absence in its probe which became the basis for an earlier arrest order.
• Senate issues arrest orders for Alice Guo, others for contempt
The panel justified the contempt order by citing Guo's refusal to confirm that she was Chinese national Guo Hua Ping despite being presented with the National Bureau of Investigation findings of them having identical fingerprints.
• NBI findings on Guo prove ‘fake Filipino’ ran for office, says senator
"This is a blatant defiance of the [our] constitutional power of inquiry... Pinaglalaruan mo ang aming batas at pinapaikot mo ang mga Pilipino. Pero ibahin mo ang Senado," Hontiveros said.
According to Guo, she was a Filipino national as far as she remembers.
"Ang alam ko ako si Alice Guo," she told senators.
• Guo denies being a Chinese spy: 'I am a Filipino, I love my country'
She also invoked the cases against her in declining to answer further questions about her dubious identity.
MANILA — A Senate panel on Monday cited in contempt dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo for allegedly lying repeatedly about her real identity.
• Fingerprints of Alice Guo, Guo Hua Ping match
"The chair cites Alice Guo or Guo Hua Ping in contempt for testifying falsely and evasively before this committee," said Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality leading the probe.
• 'Binalahura mo ang sambayanan': Alice Guo faces fuming senators after escaping probe
This is the second time to panel cited Guo in contempt. The first one was in July due to her repeated absence in its probe which became the basis for an earlier arrest order.
• Senate issues arrest orders for Alice Guo, others for contempt
The panel justified the contempt order by citing Guo's refusal to confirm that she was Chinese national Guo Hua Ping despite being presented with the National Bureau of Investigation findings of them having identical fingerprints.
• NBI findings on Guo prove ‘fake Filipino’ ran for office, says senator
"This is a blatant defiance of the [our] constitutional power of inquiry... Pinaglalaruan mo ang aming batas at pinapaikot mo ang mga Pilipino. Pero ibahin mo ang Senado," Hontiveros said.
According to Guo, she was a Filipino national as far as she remembers.
"Ang alam ko ako si Alice Guo," she told senators.
• Guo denies being a Chinese spy: 'I am a Filipino, I love my country'
She also invoked the cases against her in declining to answer further questions about her dubious identity.
According to Hontiveros, Guo shall remain under Senate custody until she answers their questions truthfully.
• Alice Guo refuses to share details of alleged death threats
"You will remain in the custody of the Senate until the conclusion of this committee inquiry or until you finally recognize the authority of this body and grant even a semblance of respect for the laws of this country," Hontiveros said.
"The committee will coordinate with any court ordering your detention," she added.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino earlier said that the Senate would move to gain custody of Guo.
"At proper time, mamaya, I will file a motion directing this committee to take cognizance of Ms. Alice Guo, at dito na po muna idetine sa Senado. I have with me bags of jurisprudence to back up my claim," he said.
• Senate or Camp Crame? Conflict over Alice Guo custody looms
• Alice Guo camp delays bail, foils Senate attempt at custody
Guo is currently under the custody of the Philippine National Police after a Tarlac court ordered her arrest, superseding an earlier Senate arrest order.
According to Hontiveros, Guo shall remain under Senate custody until she answers their questions truthfully.
• Alice Guo refuses to share details of alleged death threats
"You will remain in the custody of the Senate until the conclusion of this committee inquiry or until you finally recognize the authority of this body and grant even a semblance of respect for the laws of this country," Hontiveros said.
"The committee will coordinate with any court ordering your detention," she added.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino earlier said that the Senate would move to gain custody of Guo.
"At proper time, mamaya, I will file a motion directing this committee to take cognizance of Ms. Alice Guo, at dito na po muna idetine sa Senado. I have with me bags of jurisprudence to back up my claim," he said.
• Senate or Camp Crame? Conflict over Alice Guo custody looms
• Alice Guo camp delays bail, foils Senate attempt at custody
Guo is currently under the custody of the Philippine National Police after a Tarlac court ordered her arrest, superseding an earlier Senate arrest order.
DOJ TO SEEK CLARIFICATION
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said he would seek clarification from the Office of the Ombudsman on why the graft charge against Guo was filed before a Regional Trial Court in Tarlac.
"We will ask clarification on this matter. We will write the Ombudsman on this matter kasi parang baka na-oversight lang. Baka hindi lang nila natingnan ng husto kung bakit nai-file na sa RTC," he told reporters in a chance interview at the DOJ main office on Monday.
(We will ask for clarification on this matter. We will write the Ombudsman on this matter because there may have been oversight. They might not have properly checked why the case was filed at a Regional Trial Court.)
Remulla said the graft case against Guo should have been filed either at the Office of the Ombudsman or the Sandiganbayan.
"May problema tayo sa kaso na finile sa Tarlac eh. Kasi nagkamali yata yung prosecutors ng Ombudsman ifile yan sa Tarlac. Kasi Salary Grade 30 si Alice Guo and 26 and above dapat sa Ombudsman na yan and sa Sandiganbayan," he said.
(There's a problem with the case filed [against Guo] in Tarlac. The prosecutors of the Ombudsman must have been mistaken in filing it in Tarlac. Because Alice Guo is under Salary Grade 30 [as mayor]. Cases involving Salary Grade 26 and above must be filed at the Ombudsman and at the Sandiganbayan.)
Last Thursday, the Capas Regional Trial Court Branch 109 issued a warrant of arrest for Guo over allegedly violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) filed the case against Guo, alleging she used her position as Bamban mayor to issue a permit to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in her locality.
Hontiveros earlier questioned the case against Guo in Capas, Tarlac.
She cited the Supreme Court case of Binay vs. Sandiganbayan that stated criminal cases against municipal mayors fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.
After appearing before the Capas RTC Branch 109 on Friday, Guo returned to the Philippine National Police headquarters.
– With a report from Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News
"We will ask clarification on this matter. We will write the Ombudsman on this matter kasi parang baka na-oversight lang. Baka hindi lang nila natingnan ng husto kung bakit nai-file na sa RTC," he told reporters in a chance interview at the DOJ main office on Monday.
(We will ask for clarification on this matter. We will write the Ombudsman on this matter because there may have been oversight. They might not have properly checked why the case was filed at a Regional Trial Court.)
Remulla said the graft case against Guo should have been filed either at the Office of the Ombudsman or the Sandiganbayan.
"May problema tayo sa kaso na finile sa Tarlac eh. Kasi nagkamali yata yung prosecutors ng Ombudsman ifile yan sa Tarlac. Kasi Salary Grade 30 si Alice Guo and 26 and above dapat sa Ombudsman na yan and sa Sandiganbayan," he said.
(There's a problem with the case filed [against Guo] in Tarlac. The prosecutors of the Ombudsman must have been mistaken in filing it in Tarlac. Because Alice Guo is under Salary Grade 30 [as mayor]. Cases involving Salary Grade 26 and above must be filed at the Ombudsman and at the Sandiganbayan.)
Last Thursday, the Capas Regional Trial Court Branch 109 issued a warrant of arrest for Guo over allegedly violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) filed the case against Guo, alleging she used her position as Bamban mayor to issue a permit to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in her locality.
Hontiveros earlier questioned the case against Guo in Capas, Tarlac.
She cited the Supreme Court case of Binay vs. Sandiganbayan that stated criminal cases against municipal mayors fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.
After appearing before the Capas RTC Branch 109 on Friday, Guo returned to the Philippine National Police headquarters.
– With a report from Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News
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