The Senate on Saturday, July 13, issued an arrest order against suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, and seven others after “unduly refusing to appear, despite due notices,” in the upper chamber's investigation on the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hub in her town.

In the arrest order dated July 11, the Senate also ordered the arrest of Dennis Cunanan, Nancy Gamo, Sheila Guo, Wesley Gui, Jian Zhong Go, Seimen Guo, and Wenyi Lin.

Once arrested, they will be detained at the Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA) until such time that they will appear and testify in the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros or until they purge themself of the contempt.

"The issuance of the arrest order is only the first step to making Mayor Alice Guo or Guo Hua Ping accountable to our laws," Hontiveros said in a statement.

"Sa dami ng kasinungalingan at posibleng krimen ni Mayor Alice at ng lahat ng sangkot sa POGO, (With the number of lies and possible crimes of Mayor Alice and those involved in POGO), this is not merely procedural. This arrest order upholds the mandate of the Senate to safeguard the well-being of Filipinos," she added.

Hontiveros said that they are continuously waiting for her appearance in the next hearing, as well as those who were cited in contempt.

"Magpakita na kayo. Hindi mabubura ng inyong pagtatago ang katotohanan (Show yourselves. Hiding will not erase the truth)," she said.

It was Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada who immediately moved for the issuance of an arrest order against Guo last July 10.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also moved to cite her in contempt, along with some of her relatives who the committee also issued subpoenas.

The seven other persons cited in contempt were Gamo (alleged former consultant of Alice Guo), Cunanan (ex-Technology Resource Center chief), Lin (Alice’s alleged biological mother), Siemen (Alice’s brother), Jian Zhong (or Angelito Guo, Alice’s father), Shiela, and Wesley Guo (Alice’s sister and brother).

In a radio interview over DWIZ, Hontiveros said that in a previous hearing, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI), before they were able to issue an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) both Alice's parents had already fled the country. Yet Hontiveros believes that the embattled mayor as well as her siblings those cited in contempt are still in the Philippines.

Skipping the Senate probe

Alice's camp has already asked the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the Senate from further compelling her to appear as a resource person in the Senate hearing.

Guo pleaded for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) as she pointed out that her “constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights have been repeatedly violated, ignored and/or disregarded” by the Senate committee during its probe.

Hontiveros said that the SC is open to all individuals, whatever their nationality is, that's why Alice, "despite not being Filipino" has the right to go to the SC.

"Pero sa panig namin sa Senado, malinaw ang batas. May consequences ang pagdedma mo sa subpoena. Hindi kailanman naging optional lamang yung pagsunod sa isang subpoena (For us in the Senate, the law is clear. There are consequences to ignoring a subpoena. It has never been optional to heed a subpoena),"she added.

In the arrest order, it states that the non-appearance of the eight resource persons resulted in the "delaying, impeding, and obstructing" of the Senate panel's inquiry.

Gatchalian said during the hearing that their decision to ignore the Senate’s subpoena showed their lack of respect for the institution, which is giving them a chance to present their side.

Hontiveros also told the committee that Guo had sent a letter to her panel saying she could not attend the hearing due to death threats and mental health concerns. But the letter, she pointed out, was not backed by a medical certificate.

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero has said that he would sign the arrest warrant against Guo should Hontiveros ask for it.

Escudero also mentioned that Guo, who claimed to have been "traumatized" and has since skipped the Senate probe, must present a medical certificate.

The OSAA is directed to carry out and implement the arrest order and make a return within 24 hours of its enforcement.