The Office of the Senate Attache (OSAA) of the Philippines has deployed four professional teams to execute arrest warrants against suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and seven others. The warrant was approved by Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
The individuals involved were charged with contempt of court for refusing to participate in a Senate investigation into criminal activities related to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). The Senate took decisive action against the blatant acts of disobedience by those involved.
The head of OSAA, retired Philippine Army Lieutenant General Roberto Ancan, arranged a team to arrest Alice Guo, Sheila Leal Guo, Wesley Leal Guo, Jian Zhong Guo, Seimen Guo, Wen Yi Lin, Dennis Cunanan and Nancy Gamo. The suspects are primarily members of Alice Guo's family, including her parents - Jian Zhong Guo and Wen Yi Lin - and siblings Seimen, Wesley and Sheila.
OSAA is under strict instructions to issue arrest warrants within 24 hours and detain these individuals in its offices. Those involved will be detained until they appear and testify before the Senate Investigative Committee on POGO or are cleared of contempt charges.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, asked the eight to appear in court on July 29 to answer the charges against them.
Alice Guo’s legal team has filed an application with the Supreme Court, seeking to quash a previous subpoena issued by a Senate committee led by Hontiveros. At the same time, Guo's lawyer Stephen David said that once the mayor's mental state improves, he will surrender.
The suspended mayor missed two Senate hearings, saying it was due to her deteriorating mental health, but her team failed to submit medical documentation to support that claim. Alice Guo's case relates to two POGO centers - Zun Yuan Technology, which was raided in Bamban, Tarlac, in March last year, and its predecessor, Hongsheng Gaming Technology.
In addition to the contempt of court charge, the controversial mayor faces another charge. She masterminded a network that facilitated illegal POGO operations, transferred large amounts of unreported funds and engaged in activities that endangered national security. The revelations further intensified scrutiny of her and her family's involvement in the POGO scandal.
