Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero said that suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo has no right to tell anyone in the Senate what they should or should not prioritize.
This was after Guo released a statement questioning why Senators Risa Hontiveros and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian are "fixated" on her instead of focusing on national problems.
"Karapatan niyang sabihin yun pero para sakin, wala siya sa lugar sabihan sinumang miyembro ng Senado kung ano ang prayoridad sa isip nila at ano ang dapat nilang hindi maging prayoridad (It's her right to say that, but it's not for her to tell any member of the Senate what their priority should be and what they shouldn't focus on)," Escudero said.
Yet he mentioned that it's only natural for Guo to defend herself since she's on the receiving end of the issue on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in Bamban, Tarlac.
"Syempre siya yung tinatamaan, siya yung naatake dito sa isyung ito, siyempre unawain natin, pagtatanggol niya yung sarili niya (Of course she's the one that's affected, that's being attacked by this issue, let's try to understand that she's just defending herself)," he said.
"Pero hindi niya rin pwede ipwersa yung kanyang personal na interes at kaisipan, sa interes at kaisipan at pananaw ninuman, higit pa sa sinumang miyembro ng senador (But she cannot force her personal interest and ideals towards anyone, especially the members of the Senate)," he added.
The Senate has already issued an arrest order against Guo and seven others. Only her alleged accountant Nancy Gamo has since been placed under detention.
Escudero said there's a law principle that "flight is evidence of guilt".
According to Escudero, her lack of willingness to surrender shows that perhaps she's hiding something, is evading something, or there are questions she does not want to answer.
Guo said that she's ready to face Hontiveros and Gatchalian in a fair trial and at a proper forum.
Escudero however, said that Guo is in no position to choose what she should or should not attend based on her personal assessment.
"Narinig na natin yan tapos nung nag-issue na ng warrant ang korte, hindi rin naman nagpakita doon (We've hard that before but when the court issued a warrant of arrest, there was still no appearance)," he said.
"Huwag na tayong magulat sa ganyang mga uri ng hirit at salita kaugnay ng hindi pagdalo sa Senado or sa pagdinig man ng korte 'pag may naisampa nang kaso (We should no longer be surprised by those kind of statements when it comes to someone's refusal to attend a Senate hearing, or a court hearing when cases have been filed)," he added.