CITED IN CONTEMPT. Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo appears before the quad-committee of the House of Representatives during its hearing into the illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators on Thursday (Sept. 19, 2024). Guo’s frequent invocation of her constitutional right against self-incrimination prompted the panel to cite her in contempt. (Photo courtesy of the House Press and Public Affairs Bureau)
MANILA – The House of Representatives Quad Committee (Quadcom) on Thursday night cited dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo in contempt over her evasive answers.
Abang Lingkod Party-list Representative Stephen Paduano made the motion to cite Guo in contempt after she violated Section 11 Paragraph C of the House rules procedure governing inquiries in aid of legislation.
No objections were made and the motion was approved by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, overall chair of the Quadcom.
Paduano followed this with a second motion calling for Guo’s detention until the committee report on the investigation is adopted in the plenary.
The committee approved both motions.
Paduano, however, said question of jurisdiction will still have to be discussed after the hearing since Guo is now in the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center.
Paduano claimed that Guo deliberately avoided bailing out to remain detained at the PNP Custodial Center.
He pointed out how Guo, who allegedly has billions of pesos in assets, could not afford to post a PHP180,000 bail.
"Again you are lying. Because the real reason why you didn't bail out because you want to be detained doon sa (at the) PNP Custodial Center," Paduano said.
Guo making a mockery of Filipinos
Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop called out Guo for making a "mockery" of the Filipino people for repeatedly invoking her right against self-incrimination.
Acop pointed out that Guo had previously answered questions about her travel to Malaysia without invoking her right against self-incrimination.
“Tinanong po kayo kanina kung nagpunta kayong Malaysia, sinagot po ninyo, hindi po ba? Bakit hindi kayo nag-invoke ng inyong right against self-incrimination? (You were asked earlier if you went to Malaysia, and you answered, didn't you? Why didn't you invoke your right against self-incrimination?),” Acop asked.
Guo replied that she now intended to invoke her right, adding that she now has better understanding of her legal protections.
Guo reportedly first traveled to Malaysia before arriving in Singapore on July 21, and then Indonesia on Aug. 18, despite being the subject of a lookout bulletin issued by the Bureau of Immigration.
Authorities said Guo was arrested in Tangerang City, Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sept. 4.
Acop continued to press the issue, citing the numerous Supreme Court rulings that allow individuals to answer non-incriminating questions while reserving their right to invoke self-incrimination when answering a specific question that could expose them to criminal liability.
“Ano po ang kaso na hindi niyo pwedeng sagutin ang katanungan ko (What is the case [filed against you] in which you cannot answer my question)?” Acop asked.
Guo responded by mentioning an immigration case, wherein her offenses include using fake passports and falsifying her nationality.
Acop, however, argued that Guo invoked her right against self-incrimination in situations where no connection existed between the questions asked and the cases filed against her.
Acop accused Guo of disrespecting the process of the legislative probe and making a mockery of the Filipino people by misusing her constitutional rights.
"Niloloko mo na kami. Tama ang sinabi sa akin ng aking mga kasamahan (You are already fooling us. My colleagues are right in telling me that), you are making a mockery of the citizens of this country kasi hindi ka taga-rito (because you're not from here)," he said.
The quad committee’s investigation has revealed that Guo is indeed a Chinese national who exploited loopholes in Philippine legal and identification systems to set up businesses supposedly linked to illegal syndicates.
Link to convicted money launderer
Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro's interpellation revealed Guo’s ties to Lin Baoying and Ruijin Zhang, who were convicted of laundering USD3 billion in Singapore, along with another incorporator, Huang Zhiyang, who was implicated in cybercrimes following a raid in 2023.
All four were involved in operating Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), specifically Hongsheng Gaming Technology and Zun Yuan Technology, which were linked to human trafficking and money laundering.
It was likewise discovered that Guo fraudulently obtained a Philippine birth certificate and passport through the late registration of birth system, allowing her to run for public office and establish businesses.
“This fictitious birth certificate paved the way for Ms. Alice Guo to solicit identification cards from different government offices, including the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), and the LTO (Land Transportation Office),” Luistro said.
Luistro called for immediate reforms to block foreign nationals from exploiting these weaknesses and recommended that the Securities and Exchange Commission implement a stronger monitoring system to verify the legitimacy of corporations.
“The layering of various documents to make it appear that these are legitimate corporations complicates the government’s ability to verify and monitor the illegal activities of these foreign nationals,” she said.
She also emphasized the need for stricter anti-money laundering laws, noting that illicit POGO operations thrive due to unregulated financial transactions.
“Illegal activities and illegal POGOs will not proliferate if they are not able to transfer money. So I humbly suggest as well, Mr. Chair, that we tighten our rules on anti-money laundering,” Luistro added. (PNA)
