Senate Panel Eyes Formal Charges vs. Mayor Alice Guo after Senate Hearing Absence
ALICE GUO – The suspended Mayor of Bamban, Tarlac may face jail and ouster from public office after skipping the Senate hearing again.
The Senate held another hearing over the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming operations in the country on Monday, July 29. The inquiry is ongoing amid the announcement of President Bongbong Marcos on POGO ban in the country.
Marcos made the announcement of POGO ban in the Philippines during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA). It came after the POGO is linked to several illegal activities.
Suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is accused of involvement in the POGO operations in her town. She is also being questioned about her identity after Guo’s fingerprints matched with the fingerprints of Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese national who entered the country in 2003.
Following the confirmation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) about the fingerprints matching, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a quo warranto petition against Mayor Guo citing she might be unqualified to hold a public office considering her real identity.
Based on a recent report on ABS-CBN News, aside from the possibility of being ousted from her position as the mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, Mayor Alice Guo may also face imprisonment. The Senate Panel is on the move to file legal charges against her.
According to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the Senate Panel is seeking to file formal charges against Mayor Alice Guo for her continuous skipping of the hearings set by the upper chamber. Aside from her absence during the July 28 Senate hearing, she was also no show during the June 26 and July 10 inquiries at the Senate over POGOs.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has also filed a case against Mayor Guo. Speaking at the TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian cited the Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code which is disobedience to summons of congress.
Based on the article, the Senator also emphasized that the inquiry showed that Guo is the alleged mastermind of the POGO operations in Bamban.
More updates may be posted soon…