Court assures Senate of Guo’s continuous attendance

The Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 109 has assured the Senate of the continuous attendance of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo at their succeeding hearings.

In a letter addressed to Senator Risa Hontiveros, Presiding Judge Sarah Verdaña-Delos Santos said the former Bamban mayor will continue to appear before the upper chamber’s hearings “whenever required to do so.”

“In connection therewith, this Court, in recognition of the Senate's power to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation, assures the Honorable Senator that it shall continue to allow GUO HUA PING ALIAS ALICE LEAL GUO, who is in the custody of the Philippine National Police pending her posting of bail for the offenses charged - Violation of Sections 3(e) and 3(h) of Republic Act 3019, to be brought before the Senate whenever required to do so,” the letter dated 10 September read.

Delos Santos, however, told Hontiveros that a prior request should be made to “avoid conflict with the scheduled hearing before this Court, and further, subject to certain limitations as may be provided by law and relevant jurisprudence.”

Guo is at the center of the Senate investigation into the raided POGO firms in Bamban, which are allegedly connected to her.

Upon her arrival from Indonesia last week, Guo has been in the custody of the Philippine National Police at their custodial center in Quezon City due to the arrest warrant issued by the Tarlac RTC.

This happened despite the standing warrant of arrest issued by Hontiveros’ panel against her in June for her repeated failure to attend their hearings.

During the hearing of the Senate panel on women on Monday, Hontiveros moved to cite Guo for contempt again for “testifying falsely and evasively.”

After making the motion for her contempt, Hontiveros said that the custody of Guo would remain under the PNP due to the arrest order by the Tarlac Regional Trial Court on her graft and corruption charges.

“While Ms. Alice is in contempt of the Senate, she will remain in PNP custody. If she posts bail, she will be brought to the Senate, and that’s the part we will coordinate with the court regarding her detention,” she said.