Senators welcome Guo’s arrest

Senators have welcomed the arrest in Indonesia of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo who was at the center of their investigation into the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in her town.

In separate statements on Wednesday, Senators Risa Hontiveros and Win Gatchalian, who head the upper chamber’s investigation into Guo’s alleged link to POGOs, expressed their gratitude to Indonesian authorities for Guo’s arrest around midnight Tuesday.

“It’s confirmed — Alice Guo has been arrested. I have independently confirmed this with my Indonesian sources as well. I am grateful to everyone who made her arrest possible. Terima kasih (Thank you) to our friends in Indonesia,” Hontiveros said.

“I look forward to Guo Hua Ping’s [her Chinese name] appearance at the Senate hearing as soon as possible. We appreciate the NBI’s commitment to turn her over to the Senate after she is processed,” she added.

Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, said those who helped Guo escape would also be held liable.

For his part, Gatchalian said Guo will now have a chance to answer the charges against her.

“Now that she has been caught, she must be held accountable for the charges filed against her, such as for human trafficking, money laundering, quo warranto, violating Senate orders and others. It is important that she personally face these charges here in our country,” he said.

He said that Guo should be brought to the Senate after being processed by the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero also welcomed Guo’s arrest, emphasizing its significance.

“I welcome the arrest of Alice Guo in Indonesia. This not only paves the way for her to face justice but may also illuminate illegal POGO operations in the country,” Escudero said.

The Senate has an outstanding arrest order for Guo who fled the country for Malaysia in July.

Shiela Guo, her alleged sibling, and Cassandra Ong, the representative of Lucky South 99, the POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, were also apprehended in Indonesia last month.

Shiela and Ong were arrested on 21 August after they attempted to return to Singapore. They were brought back to the Philippines on 22 August.

Uncover complete truth

Senator Loren Legarda also welcomed the arrest of Guo, calling it an “important step in our ongoing efforts to combat the corrupt activities she has been involved in.”

“Her escape and evasion from her responsibilities in the Philippines clearly showed a blatant attempt to evade justice. We will continue to closely monitor the investigation to ensure that every aspect of this case is thoroughly examined and clarified,” Legarda said in a statement.

She noted that it is necessary to determine the “full extent of the corruption committed by Guo, uncover the complete truth without any cover-ups, and identify all those involved to take appropriate action and impose penalties for any violations of the law ranging from human trafficking, identity theft, money laundering, and other illegal transactions.”

House members react

Meanwhile, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., one of the co-chairpersons of the House Quad Committee that is also investigating POGOs, said Guo’s arrest was a “welcome development.”

“Alice Guo is one of our persons of interest. If she is back, for sure we are going to invite her as one of our resource persons,” Abante said in a statement.

He said the capture of Guo and her cohorts by Indonesian authorities was “kind of an embarrassment for us.”

“The Indonesian government is bent on arresting illegal aliens while these people are able to leave our country,” he said.

“That’s why one of the agencies we are going to invite is the Bureau of Immigration. We heard that there is a good amount of corruption happening in the BI,” he added.

Quezon Rep. Reyante Arrogancia seconded Abante.