Senate Panel Cites Suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo in Contempt
ALICE GUO – A Senate Panel cited in contempt the suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor and an arrest warrant will be sought.
The issues surrounding suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Guo have yet to reach the resolution. The politician is being questioned regarding her identity as well as her alleged involvement in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Mayor Guo is serving the people of Bamban, Tarlac since June 30, 2022. The politician claimed that she cannot recall where she was born while her Birth Certificate states that she was born in Barangay Matatalaib in Tarlac which was still a municipality then.
The inconsistencies in the documents and testimonies of Mayor Guo trigger the questions regarding her identity. Her wealth is also being questioned.
Previously, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed that Mayor Alice Guo’s fingerprints matched with the fingerprints of Guo Hua Ping. The said matching of their fingerprints suggest that they are the same person.
Today, a Senate hearing was set but the politician did not attend the hearing. Prior to it, the lawyer of Mayor Alice Guo announced that she will not be able to attend the Senate hearing as she was “traumatized” by the treatment to her. Attorney Stephen David also cited that the Mayor is emotionally and physically drained by the many allegations against her.
Senator Risa Hontiveros previously expressed that Guo and her legal counsels are obligated to respect the laws in the Philippines. She also dismissed the reason of the Mayor’s camp that it is a self-incrimination.
Mayor Alice Guo did not attend the Senate hearing that was held today. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, the Senate Panel cited the suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor in contempt and an arrest warrant will be sought.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros approved the motion of Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada. The lawmakers found the excuse made by Guo unacceptable. Her deteriorating mental health was cited by the Mayor’s camp as the reason behind her absence but there was no medical certificate attached to support it.
On the side of Guo, in a letter, she claimed that the doctors refused to give her a medical certificate in the fear that they would be ridiculed. Based on the report, aside from Mayor Alice Guo, seven (7) other individuals will be cited in contempt including the relatives of the Mayor.
Hontiveros explained that after the hearing, the chair will write a letter to the Senate President. Once the letter is approved by the Senate President, the issuance of the arrest warrant will be set into motion.