Senate POGO probe should focus on new Guo revelations — majority leader

THE SENATE should focus on getting more information from dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice L. Guo on the alleged international criminal syndicate linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in their expected closed-door meetings with the ex-chief executive, according to the Senate majority leader.

In a statement citing an Al Jazeera documentary accusing Ms. Guo of being a Chinese spy, Senate Majority Leader Francis N. Tolentino said the Senate can only use the claim as evidence if the source of the piece, who is detained in Thailand, is brought to the Philippines.

“I’ll ask [Ms. Guo’s] reaction to the video. But under the rules of admissibility in our courts, whatever was stated in the video cannot be authenticated because the person who was interviewed is in Thailand,” he said.

The documentary was shown last week at a House hearing looking into the ex-mayor’s links into POGO, with her denying the accusations of being a spy for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

She Zhijiang, a crime leader detained in Thailand and Al Jazeer’s source, shared files showing Guo Hua Ping, Ms. Guo’s alleged original Chinese name, and her address in Fujien province at a local supposed office of the CCP.

The dismissed official told congressmen that the accusations were unfair and denied allegations of asking the detained crime leader to fund her mayoral campaign in 2022.

Mr. Tolentino said the Senate could also seek a hearing at the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok with the convict and to uncover the basis of his accusations against Ms. Guo.

Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros-Baraquel said last week that the former Bamban mayor revealed a “crucial” personality linked to POGOs and illegal activities in a closed-door executive session.

She has been accused of coddling an illegal offshore gaming company in the town of Bamban, Tarlac where she ran and won for the first time as mayor in 2022. The illegal hub had been raided by Philippine law enforcement due to links to scamming operations in March.

Ms. Guo was arrested in Jakarta on Sept. 4 after fleeing the country via a yacht amid a Senate arrest order and human trafficking complaints against her. The former mayor has denied these allegations and insists that she is a Filipino citizen. — John Victor D. Ordoñez