MANILA, Philippines – The Senate has prepared the detention facility located in its compound in Pasay City where suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and seven others, including her family members, will be detained in case they surrender.
The Office of the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA) on Tuesday, July 16, held an ocular visit of the facility for the media. The detention center was a former day-care center, which is air-conditioned, has three double-deck beds with pillows, a water dispenser, a restroom, and a sink.
“We will protect them. I have done this before,” said OSAA chief retired Lt. General Roberto Ancan.
On Saturday, July 13, authorities nabbed Alice Guo’s former accountant following the Senate’s arrest order against the mayor and her companions. OSAA said that their team took custody of Nancy Gamo at around 1 pm. However, authorities were not able to find Guo in her Bamban address.
Gamo will remain under Senate custody and will be held there. She could be detained as long as the Senate inquiry into illegal POGO continues.
The next Senate inquiry is set on July 29.
Apart from the mayor and Gamo, the Senate also ordered the arrest of her family members, former government official Dennis Cunanan, the representative of the Bamban POGO linked to Guo, for the same reason. Aside from the suspended mayor, those still at-large are:
Ancan said that Guo and others will be allowed to go outside of the facility for a few minutes for their morning walk. Food and other necessities will be provided for them but they can also bring their own food.
Meanwhile, Senate President Chiz Escudero said on Monday, July 15, that they might allow them to use gadgets during their stay in the Senate detention facility.
“According to the current rules and guidelines, the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms would not allow it. But should the need arise, the OSAA may provide a phone line. But I have ordered a review because I found that the rule was already old and may no longer be applicable,” he said.
Guo’s lawyer legal counsel Stephen David on Monday maintained that the mayor is still in the country and that he is convincing her to surrender to authorities.
“Nakausap ko siya kahapon pero hindi ko alam kung saan siya. Pero 100% nasa Pilipinas siya. ‘Yun ang sinabi niya sa akin,” David said in an interview with GMA News.
(I talked to her yesterday but I don’t know where she is. But she is 100% in the Philippines. That’s what she told me.)
Guo has been the subject of Senate hearings for her alleged involvement in illegal activities of a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) raided in her hometown. During the inquiries, her nationality and citizenship were also questioned because of inconsistencies about her personal life.
For her alleged ties with the illegal POGO raided because of complaints of alleged human trafficking, Guo faces a non-bailable offense of qualified trafficking. The Office of the Solicitor General has also moved to cancel her birth certificate, which could help in the possible quo warranto case against her. The quo warranto petition, if granted, would remove Guo from public office.
The Court of Appeals recently froze Guo’s assets after the appellate court in response to an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) petition. – Rappler.com
