Senators on Wednesday, September 4 lauded the efforts of authorities, particularly Indonesian police force, for the successful apprehension of former mayor Alice Guo.
“I hail the arrest of Alice Guo in Indonesia. She can now be brought to justice and, hopefully, also shed light on illegal POGO operations in the country,” Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said in a statement.
“I, likewise, thank and congratulate Philippine and Indonesian law enforcement authorities for successfully effecting her arrest,” the Senate leader added.
Escudero said the arrest of Alice Guo is a crucial breakthrough in the government's fight against organized crime and corruption.
"Her capture not only moves us closer to bringing her to justice but also offers a chance to uncover the illegal POGO operations that have plagued our country,” Escudero said.
“The success of this operation underscores the importance of international cooperation in combating cross-border criminal activities. I commend both our law enforcement agencies and their Indonesian counterparts for their coordinated efforts,” he said.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who exposed the mayor as a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping, also lauded the Indonesian authorities and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for their swift action against Guo.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa Indonesian authorities at sa NBI sa kanilang mabilis na pagkilos sa paghuli kay Guo Hua Ping (aka Alice Guo) at sa kanyang mga kasama (We are thankful to the Indonesian authorities and to the NBI for swiftly arresting Guo Hua Ping and her associates),” Gatchalian said in a separate statement.
“Dahil nahuli na siya, dapat managot siya sa mga kasong isinampa laban sa kanya kagaya ng human trafficking, money laundering, quo warranto, paglabag sa utos ng Senado at iba pa. Importante na siya mismo ang managot dito sa ating bansa. (Since she has been caught, she must be held accountable for the charges filed against her such as human trafficking, money laundering, quo warranto, violation of the order of the Senate and others. It’s important that she is held accountable here in the Philippines),” he pointed out.
Gatchalian further said the NBI and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) should turn over Guo to the Senate which has an outstanding arrest warrant against her.
“Dapat din niyang sabihin kung sino sino ang kanyang mga kasama sa mga criminal activities niya sa Bamban at sino sino ang mga tumutulong sa kanya na na sa gobyerno. Gusto namin ng eksaktong mga pangalan para masampahan din ng kaso ang mga iyon (She should also say who were her their cohorts in the criminal activities in Bamban and who in the government is already helping her. We want exact names so we can charge those people too),” he reiterated.
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros also vowed to uncover Guo’s accomplices and those helping her in government.
"I am fully expecting magsasalita na siya ng kumpleto at katotohanan kasi patunay itong pag-aresto sa kanya na hindi siya makakatakas talaga. Tumakas man siya nung una, nahuli pa rin siya at ibabalik dito (I am fully expecting that she will speak completely and truthfully because her arrest is proof that she cannot really escape. Even though she ran away at first, she was still caught and will be brought back here)," Hontiveros said.
"She has nowhere else to go. At yung mga tumulong sa kanyang makatakas, hindi namin sila tatantanan (We will also pursue those who helped her escape)," she said.
Hontiveros, head of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, said Guo will have to be detained at the Senate which is leading the investigation into her involvement in the illegal activities of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hubs in her town.
She also said Guo would have to face the Senate subcommittee investigating the circumstances of her escape from the Philippines.
Sen. Joel Villanueva also thanked the Indonesian authorities for their successful mission to arrest Guo and hope that with the incident every person related to the operation of POGO and heinous crimes in the country will be exposed.
“Kinakailangan rin pong mapanagot sa batas si Alice Guo kaugnay ng patong-patong na kasong isinampa sa kanya ganun rin ang mga opisyal o indibidwal na tumulong sa kanyang magtago, makatakas at makapuslit sa ibang bansa (It is also necessary to hold Alice Guo accountable to the law in relation to the many cases filed against her as well as the officials or individuals who helped her to hide, escape and smuggle to another country),” Villanueva said.
Sen. Loren Legarda also said Guo's arrest is an important step in the ongoing crackdown on the corruption she is involved in.
"Her escape and hiding from responsibilities here in the Philippines clearly shows a blatant avoidance of justice," Legarda said in a statement.
"We will continue to focus on the progress of the investigation to ensure that every aspect of this case is thoroughly discussed and clarified," she stressed.
She also cited the necessity of completing the whole story of how Guo was able to escape the country.
"The whole truth must be known without any cover-up, and all those involved must be identified so that any violation of the law can be properly prosecuted and punished– from illegal activities related to POGO such as human trafficking, identity theft, money laundering, and any other illegal transaction," she said.