Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. maintained on Saturday, Sept. 7, that he doesn’t know and isn’t close to dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.
(Photo courtesy of DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos/Facebook)
The official was a guest during the Saturday News Forum held in Quezon City, where he defended the DILG over criticisms of photos that went viral on social media after he and other government officials fetched Guo in Indonesia.
“Hindi ko ho close, hindi ko ho kakilala si Alice Guo. It’s only that time na ganoon ko siya kalapit na nakakausap ‘no, I don’t know (We are not close, I don’t know Alice Guo. It’s only that time that I talked to her that close, I don’t know),” he explained.
Abalos added that there was also a need to balance rules and human rights in terms of not putting Guo in handcuffs because at the time of her arrest, there was only a contempt order from the Senate and they also had to follow Indonesia’s protocols.
The official was referring to a viral video of him meeting Guo, who told him that they met previously during an event in Tarlac province.
Social media users criticized Abalos for the kid-gloves treatment of the dismissed mayor.
The official also said he did not speak to Guo onboard the private airplane he borrowed from a friend to fetch her from Indonesia, where she was caught earlier this week after fleeing the Philippines amid accusations that she has ties to criminal syndicates and money-laundering.
“But one thing is certain, we’ve followed protocols here,” Abalos stressed, adding that such protocols were observed in the plane and that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) immediately read to the dismissed mayor her Miranda rights.
The DILG chief also called for fairness against public perception that cases against Guo would be watered down.
“If you will recall then, I think it was Senator Sherwin who was asking that DILG do something about disciplining Alice Guo,” he said.
“And let me tell you this ‘no, let me emphasize that under the Local Government Code and under pertinent laws, wala pong disciplining authority ang DILG, hindi kami puwedeng magsuspinde, mag-preventive suspension ng sinumang public official – wala po kaming ganoong kapangyarihan. Wala, inuulit ko (the DILG does not have disciplining authority, we cannot suspend, preventively suspend any public official — we do not have that power. We don’t, I repeat),” Abalos explained.
Instead, he created a task force headed by DILG Undersecretary JV Llamas, who recommended the filing of administrative and criminal cases for violation of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices.
In the same news forum, Llamas detailed that the cases filed against Guo were based on her being partial, acting in “bad faith,” and “giving unwarranted benefit” to two Chinese corporations operating as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
A case was also filed because of Guo’s “financial interest” in the Baofu land, which own the POGO buildings and facilities.
Guo was arrested in a hotel in the city of Tangerang in Indonesia, and is now under the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Abalos promised that Guo would be available to face the Senate hearing of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, headed by opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros.
Guo is also wanted by the Senate for refusing to appear before a congressional investigation into her alleged criminal ties.