Could dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo become a state witness against illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs)?
That question was posed to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Saturday, Sept. 7, as Guo returns to the Philippines after fleeing from her multiple charges and is set to face the Senate for a hearing.
According to DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano, Guo's possibility to become a state witness is still up for discussion; but until now, she remains to be considered as the "most guilty" in POGO-related charges she is facing, such as violation of anti-human trafficking and anti-money laundering.
"That opens up a discussion on what we are actually investigating," Clavano said in mixed English and Filipino at a media forum in Quezon City.
"For example, if we will have discovered someone bigger than her and behind her, Mayor Guo will no longer be the most guilty," Clavano added.
However, right now, Clavano said that Guo still stands as the most guilty based on the ongoing investigation, "thereby disqualifying her to become a state witness."
In July, Guo fled the country at the height of the Senate investigation into her real identity and her links to POGO hubs in her municipality, which was discovered to have been holding Filipinos, Chinese, Vietnamese and other nationals against their will.
Guo was also facing multiple charges from the DOJ, the Senate, the Office of the Ombudsman and local courts when she escaped reportedly via Malaysia.
On Sept. 6, Guo was deported back to Manila after her arrest at a hotel in Tengarang City in Indonesia by Indonesian Interpol.
Clavano said that Guo's possibility to become a state witness is still a subject to investigation.
"It will also depend on the willingness of former Mayor Alice Guo to cooperate with the law enforcement and the authorities," he added.