The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is set to file criminal complaints on Tuesday, Aug. 27, against Shiela L. Guo, the sister of dismissed Mayor Alice L. Guo, and Katherine Cassandra Ong, both of whom have been tagged in the illegal activities of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago, in a press conference said the charges will be filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ, on the other hand, said the government will continue efforts to hunt down Alice Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban town in Tarlac.
“We are doing everything that we can. We are turning every stone,” DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV said during the press conference held at the NBI headquarters in Quezon City.
Director Santiago said Shiela Guo will be charged with violation of the Philippine Passport Act, while Cassandra Ong will be charged with obstruction of justice.
Santiago said the results of the fingerprint analysis has shown that Shiela Guo and Chinese national Shang Mier are one and the same person.
“Kaya tsina-charge namin s’ya ng violation ng Philippine Passport Act…. It appears ‘yung kanyang passport ay fraudulently secured (That’s why we will charge Shiela for violation of the Philippine Passport Act. It appears her Philippine passport was fraudulently acquired),” he said.
Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Shiela Guo, who was found frequently using her Philippine passport for her travels, was in possession of her Chinese passport when she got arrested in Indonesia.
Before the two women were turned over to the NBI at 10 p.m. last Thursday, Tansingco said the BI had Shiela Guo underwent inquest proceedings for violating the country’s immigration laws, and also for fraudulently acquiring a Philippine passport.
In the meantime, Santiago said the two women will be detained at the NBI headquarters.
“I think sa Martes merong Senate hearing. Dadalhin namin sila doon (I think there is a Senate hearing this Tuesday. We will bring them there),” he added.
Though the charges they will be facing are bailable, Santiago declared that “we are holding them by virtue of a warrant issued by the Senate, hindi ordinary court (not by an ordinary court) where they can request to post bail immediately kahit holiday.”