Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay denied on Tuesday being in a romantic relationship with dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
Calugay made the remarks today, 17 September, when pressed by senators about his personal relationship with Guo during the resumption of the joint hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality with Senate Committees on Migrant Workers, and Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is spearheading the Senate investigation, presented photos of Calugay and Guo together during their respective election caravans in their towns.
In one of the photos, Calugay was seen wearing a pink shirt bearing Alice Guo's name.
In response, Calugay said he was invited by Guo’s staff to attend her motorcade in her town, which he reciprocated during his caravan after the 2022 elections.
Hontiveros then asked Calugay whether he was “close” with Guo and that their respective staff were working closely and coordinating on their behalf.
“No, your honor. We are just friends,” he said.
Senators also asked Calugay about his alleged businesses with Guo, particularly about a certain Happy Penguin Resort situated in Sual.
Calugay, likewise, denied that he was the owner of the private resort but admitted later that he was the owner of the land.
According to him, he owned the land where the private resort was erected, which he sold to a certain Veronica Soriano on 15 July, 2024.
Calugay said he was forced to sell his 4,000 square meters of land for P1.2 million after he ran out of money.
Senators suspect that the private resort was used by Guo as one of her hideouts before leaving for Malaysia in July.