The former mayor made this statement while being questioned by Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa. Dela Rosa asked Guo what her next plan would have been if she had not been arrested earlier this month in Indonesia.
Dela Rosa asked, "Assuming the Indonesian authorities had not arrested you, what would have been your next plan?"
Guo answered that she originally planned to return to the Philippines to face the charges against her.
She stated, "Honestly, Senator, we were indeed discussing my return to the Philippines, where I would face these charges and explain my position."
Dela Rosa then asked Guo if she had considered fleeing back to China.
She said, "I was going to return to the Philippines, go to China? There was no such plan."
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) previously confirmed that Alice Guo and a Chinese citizen named Guo Hua Ping have the same fingerprints, but Guo refused to admit that she is this Chinese citizen.
Guo admitted that she fled the Philippines in the first week of July and was arrested on September 4 in Indonesia.
Dela Rosa stated that he raised this question because there was reason to believe that Guo might be a spy for China. He said, "For an undercover agent, the safest place is to return to their home base, and if she really was a Chinese national agent, then returning to China would be the safest option."
However, Guo's response raised Dela Rosa's suspicions, and he speculated that Guo's reluctance to return to China was because of her association with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
He pointed out, "Maybe you don't want to return to China because you are involved with POGO. The Chinese government is very opposed to POGO, and if you return to China, you would definitely be held accountable. Am I right?"
In response, Guo reiterated that she was not involved in the operation of POGO.
Guo stated, "Senator, I am not involved in POGO. In fact, my father is still in China. You are right, the Chinese government indeed opposes POGO."
The Chinese Embassy has repeatedly expressed support for the Philippine government's stance against POGO and welcomed a comprehensive ban.
Guo added, "This is not the reason I do not want to return to China. My reason is that I want to return to the Philippines to explain and face the charges against me."
Despite Guo's denial of involvement in POGO, Dela Rosa still stated that she could not escape the fact that she was associated with POGO.
He stated, "Whether you admit it or not, we all believe you are associated with POGO. If you insist, you can say these things to others, but we will not believe it."
Additionally, Senator Risa Hontiveros encouraged Guo to respond to the charges against her at the Senate hearing and pointed out that Guo had expressed her desire to return to the Philippines to explain.
She stated, "Guo Hua Ping, you said you want to come back here to explain. I strongly encourage you to explain as much as possible at this hearing. You understand what I mean."
