Since it is the Senate that first issued an arrest warrant against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, she ought to be under the custody of the Senate.
Senator Risa Hontiveros pointed this out as she expressed her dismay over the sudden arrest warrant issued by a Tarlac court for Guo, who also goes by the name Guo Hua Ping.
The arrest warrant was issued by the Capas, Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 109 for Guo’s alleged violation of Section 3 (e) and (h) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act on Thursday, September 5.
Guo was repatriated back to the Philippines from Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, September 5 and arrived in the evening.
“Dapat sa Senado muna siya i-detain para makaharap sa hearing sa Lunes (She should be detained at the Senate so she can face the Senate hearing on Monday),” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“Ginagalang ko ang karapatan ng judiciary na mag labas ng warrant pero ang senado ang may pinaka-unang arrest warrant laban sa kanya (I respect the right of the judiciary to issue a warrant, but the Senate has the first arrest warrant against her),” she said.
“Ang Senado ang nag-trigger ng manhunt. Senate warrant ang bitbit ng ating law enforcement sa Jakarta (The Senate triggered the manhunt. Our law enforcement officers in Jakarta carried a Senate warrant to arrest Guo),” she pointed out.
The bail has been set at P90,000 for violation of Section 3, and another P90,000 for violation of Section 3.
Hontiveros also pointed out that the Supreme Court has ruled that criminal cases against municipal mayors fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, as in the case of Binay vs. Sandiganbayan.
“Bakit po kaya Tarlac court ang nag issue? At bakit siya dinala sa Tarlac? Hiniling ko na si Gen. (Roberto) Ancan ng OSAA ay sumunod doon para mamonitor ang mga pangyayari doon (Why did the Tarlac court issue an arrest warrant? Why did they bring her to Tarlac? I asked Gen. Ancan of the Office of the Senate Sergeant at Arms to monitor the events),” she said.
After Guo is processed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) or the Philippine National Police (PNP), she must be turned over to the OSAA.
“That was clear from the very start and that was the commitment of NBI Director Jaime Santiago,” she said.
Hontiveros said it is now imperative for senators to find out why Guo Hua Ping seems to prefer imprisonment in a local jail than be detained in the Senate.
“Ngayon kung si Guo Hua Ping ay di mag pyansya, ibig sabihin mas gusto pa niya makulong sa PNP kaysa sa Senate. We need to ask why. Why does she want to be in a jail more than in the senate detention facility (Now, if Guo Hua Ping does not bail, it means that she would rather be imprisoned in the PNP than in the Senate). We need to ask why. Why does she want to be in a jail more than in the Senate detention facility?” she pointed out.