At the Senate hearing on September 24, Guo Huaping finally opened up, promising to reveal the truth behind all the events surrounding her, especially pointing out the "most guilty" person during the closed-door meeting.
At the hearing, Senator JV Ejercito asked Guo Huaping: "Are you the mastermind? Are you willing to disclose if someone is manipulating this entire operation behind the scenes?"
Guo responded, "I am not the mastermind, I can say I am a victim." She further stated that after such a long investigation, the committee, especially under the leadership of the chair, already knows who is controlling everything behind the scenes.
Ejercito then asked her if she was willing to identify the "most guilty" person in a closed-door meeting. Guo Huaping affirmatively answered, "Yes, respected Senator."
This was the first time Guo Huaping clearly and explicitly answered this question.
Previously, the Senate's attitude towards Guo's cooperation was pessimistic. The acting Senate President Estrada admitted the day before that after nearly four months of investigation by the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, Guo's uncooperative response was frustrating. He added, "If she continues to invoke her right against self-incrimination, there's nothing we can do about it."
Moreover, previously, at least three senators had rejected Guo Huaping's request for a closed-door meeting, where Guo hoped to secretly disclose her relationship with the illegal POGO. However, the senators believed that before allowing her to hold a closed-door meeting, Guo must tell the truth to the public; and she must convince the Senate that she will reveal valuable information to the investigators, only then it might be possible, otherwise with her attitude, it is hard for the Senate to believe that the closed-door meeting would yield any results.
Now, it seems that both Guo Huaping and the Senate have each made a concession.
Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros welcomed this, she has been leading the investigation against illegal POGO since March. She believes that Guo Huaping's statement indicates significant progress in the investigation, which may be close to revealing the inner workings of the illegal POGO in the Philippines.
After the hearing, the senators discussed with Guo Huaping's team whether to immediately proceed with the closed-door meeting or continue next week. Initially hesitant because her chief lawyer was out of town, Guo hoped for the lawyer's presence. After about 10 minutes of discussion, the senators suggested her lawyer participate in the closed-door meeting via Zoom and planned to continue discussions next week. Persuaded by Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Roberto Ancan, Guo agreed to the senators' proposal.
According to the Philippine Constitution and Senate rules, senators can hold closed-door meetings involving national security or public interest, and the content discussed is strictly confidential, only to be declassified by a two-thirds vote of the 24 senators. Senators may choose to publish a summary or share information in subsequent hearings.
The closed-door meeting was finally approved by the Senate panel and held in the office of Majority Leader Francis Tolentino.
After the closed-door meeting, Ejercito told the public, "It was fruitful." The senator mentioned that the closed-door meeting lasted only a few minutes, as the Senate had another meeting at 3 PM. However, the meeting will continue next week, and Mayor Guo promised to "recall everything."
Tuesday's hearing was the Senate's 14th hearing on POGO and the 8th focusing on Guo Huaping's situation. Hontiveros stated that her committee would hold at least one more hearing before the final report. The committee plans to invite former Philippine National Police Chief Benjamin Acorda to the next hearing, as senators mentioned Acorda's name during the questioning of Chinese businessman Yang.
