Suspended Mayor Alice L. Guo of Bamban, Tarlac did not appear anew at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila during the preliminary investigation on Monday, July 22, on the non-bailable qualified trafficking in persons complaint filed against her and her co-respondents.
Guo did not appear last July 4 during the first preliminary investigation being conducted by a DOJ panel of prosecutors.
“‘Yung mga respondents karamihan nag-appear (Most of the respondents appeared),” said DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix L. Ty.
“Pero halimbawa si Mayor Guo, itong si Dennis Cunanan tapos ‘yung mga Chinese na respondents wala sila but represented ng abogado (However, Guo, former Technology Resource Center (TRC) head Dennis L. Cunanan, and the Chinese respondents were not present but were represented by lawyers),” Undersecretary Ty said. he disclosed.
Since Guo had previously stated that she will answer allegations against her in the proper forum, Ty reminded the suspended mayor that “this is certainly the proper forum.”
The complaint against Guo and several respondents was filed at the DOJ last June 21 by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
During the first hearing last July 4, they were given until July 22 to personally file their respective counter-affidavits in response to the allegations against them.
During Monday’s hearing, Ty said the complainants filed a supplemental complaint-affidavit which named four new Filipino complainants and one Filipina respondent.
“Fortunately for her (Guo), because the state decided to file additional supplemental complaint, she has a new opportunity to explain her side in the proper forum which will be on August 6,” Ty said.
But Ty said the said the August 6 submission of the counter-affidavits set by the panel is non-extendible.
“So hopefully by August 6, after mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga respondents na magfile ng kanilang mga counter-affidavit, submitted for resolution na ang kaso (after the respondents were given the opportunity to file their counter-affidavit, the case will be submitted for resolution),” he also said.
Guo and the other respondents were charged with their alleged involvement in the reported illegal activities of the Zun Yuan Technology, a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) facility in Bamban that was raided by government authorities last March 13.
Ty noted that the additional Filipina was previously arrested and presented for inquest.
“Kaya lang noong panahon ng inquest pananaw ng investigating prosecutor na kulang ‘yung ebidensya laban sa Filipinang ito kaya dinismiss (However, the case against the Filipina was dismissed by the investigating prosecutor due to the lack of evidence at that time),” the undersecretary said.
“Kaya ‘yung team natin, ‘yung mga piskal tsaka ‘yung mga law enforcers, na build up ‘yung kaso laban sa Filipinang ito at isinama na s’ya sa mga nireklamo (That’s why our team composed of prosecutors and law enforcement reinforced the case against her and now included her in the complaint),” he said.
Ty noted “ito ay isang Filipina na nireklamo na nagrecruit sa mga iba’t ibang tao doon (this Filipina has been identified as having recruited a number of persons).”