Ombudsman cold on Guo’s recon

The camp of embattled Bamban Mayor Alice Guo on Thursday formally petitioned the Office of the Ombudsman to lift the six-month preventive suspension it imposed on the local chief executive.

Guo’s legal team —- composed of lawyers Stephen David, Nicole Jamilla and Lorelie Santos — filed a motion for reconsideration against its order based on allegations that she had a hand in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities in her town.

Her lawyers contended that the allegations were an “amalgam of exceedingly distorted, exaggerated and fabricated stories viciously designed to hoodwink this Honorable Office,” referring to the Ombudsman.

“A perusal of the assailed order, which is the only basis of respondent Guo to file this instant motion, would readily show that the complaint filed against her is founded on erroneous accusations. It bears to emphasize that the allegations found therein are based on a misapprehension of facts and laws,” the motion reads.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires, however, refuted David’s claim that the evidence of the prosecution was unsubstantiated. “He can file any pleading that he likes. It is not for him to say that there is no evidence,” Martires told DAILY TRIBUNE. “That duty belongs to the investigators and the Ombudsman.”

Earlier this week, the Ombudsman slapped Guo with suspension up to six months, along with municipal business permits and licensing officer Edwin Ocampo and municipal legal officer Adenn Sigua, citing “strong evidence showing their guilt.”

The suspension follows the administrative complaint filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government against the three, alleging they committed grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and gross neglect of duty when they granted a business permit to Zun Yuan Technology notwithstanding the cease-and-desist order of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

Zun Yuan is a gaming operator located at the Baufo Land Development Inc. property, which allegedly hosts a POGO compound in Bamban.

The firm was raided for alleged human trafficking and serious illegal detention by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission on 13 March, while its predecessor, Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., also operating in the Baufo compound, was likewise raided in February for alleged fraudulent cryptocurrency investment operations.

Records also showed that Hongsheng continued operating despite PAGCOR revoking its license to operate months before the raid. Guo is said to be the president of Baofu, owning at least 50 percent of the firm’s stock.

The mayor, however, claimed she had divested her share totalling P2.5 million through a deed of assignment before she assumed office in 2022. The DILG did not buy Guo’s explanation, asserting that such was “grossly incongruent to her investment in Baufo, which is approximately eight hectares of land.”

Despite Martires saying his office has “very strong” evidence against Guo, David contented that his client is innocent and has nothing to do with the illegal POGO operations happening within the halls of the Baofu compound.

David said Guo only did her job when she issued a business permit to Zun Yuan, which complied with all the requirements.

“So in other words, she sees no reason not to grant it. Otherwise, she would be accused of red tape, [like] she’s asking for a return,” David said in an interview on Tuesday.

David, likewise, refuted allegations concerning Guo’s lavish lifestyle. Aside from procuring eight parcels of land in Bamban, Guo also owns a helicopter, a Rolls Royce car, and designer bags, shoes, and jewelry, among others.

“Her father owns a fabric factory in China and here in the Philippines. You can’t say that just because she has a beautiful lifestyle, assuming for the sake of argument that those are hers, means that she stole it,” David averred.

Guo, suspected to be a Chinese asset or “spy,” is also under scrutiny amid questions surrounding her identity as a Filipino citizen.

Senators, who have been investigating her case, have raised doubts regarding Guo’s background and citizenship status, pointing out the absence of official records to substantiate her claim as a Filipino.

The Commission on Elections, which disclosed that Guo only registered as a voter in 2018, has warned that the mayor may be charged with perjury once it is proven that the allegations against her are legitimate.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is also baffled by Guo’s origins, has already directed the Bureau of Immigration to investigate the issue thoroughly alongside the Senate.

Aside from Guo, Senator Win Gatchalian disclosed that many other politicians, enforcers, and even businesses were involved in the illegal POGO hub in Tarlac.

“I can’t say the names, but there are other politicians here according to our national intelligence agencies. There are politicians, that’s as far as I can say,” Gatchalian said in a press conference with Senate media on Thursday.

Reporters asked whether the roles of these politicians were only Guo’s, Gatchalian said: “They are part of that POGO hub.”

“It was not really elaborate but definitely part of the web. I think intelligence gathering continues. There’s actually a web list comprising of politicians, enforcers, criminal syndicates, even businessmen,” he added.

Gatchalian stressed that all documents pointing to Guo’s “active participation” in the establishment of the entire POGO firm in Bamban, Tarlac — which was installed at the back of the municipal hall.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Thursday rejected Senator Risa Hontiveros’ proposal to declare POGO as a national security threat.

In a text message to reporters, Pimentel, who makes up half of the Senate Minority bloc, expressed his reservations, saying he doesn’t see the need to take such extreme measures.

“We don’t even need to go that far and involve national security. Hosting POGOs within the Philippine territory to target foreign nationals to gamble online against their own domestic laws is simply bad and wrong policy,” he said.

“It is as simple as that. There is no need to complicate this matter of the POGOs. They should be banned as a matter of public policy for being against our national interest,” he added.

Hontiveros recently called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to impose a total ban on POGO and declared it as a threat to national security.