Government execs who suddenly resign after Guo capture could have POGO links--solon

Alice Guo (leftmost) being processed by the Philippine National Police (PNP PIO)

Now that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo is in the hands of Philippine authorities, the Department of Justice (DOJ) should keep an eye out for officials who will suddenly go on leave or resign.

Quezon 3rd district Rep. Reynante Arrogancia was convinced that Guo--heavily implicated in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) controversy--escaped the Philippines last July 28 with the help of certain individuals. 

"To the government officials and personnel who helped Guo Hua Ping flee to Malaysia and Indonesia, resigning from your posts or going AWOL (absent without offical leave) will not stop us in Congress or the [DOJ] from making sure you are arrested, prosecuted, and convicted," he said. 

"I suggest to the DOJ that they be on the alert for any officials and personnel who suddenly and suspiciously go on leave, resign, or disappear. They have now had days to prepare for their escape," Arrogancia said. 

"If their immediate relatives also disappear, the DOJ must take that as a sign that persons of interest are fleeing," noted the House Committee on Public Order and Safety vice chairperson.  

"That some people went through all that trouble to bring her out of the country means her existence or presence in the Philippines is a real threat to them," he further said. 

Philippine law enforcement authorities fetched fugitive Guo from Indonesia via chartered plane following her capture there. 

"A firm reminder to everyone responsible for the security arrangements for Guo Hua Ping (Alice Guo): if she escapes again or if anyone harms, threatens, or kills her while she is in your custody, the full effect of the law should be applied against you, and there should be no leniency for you," Arrogancia said. 

Meanwhile, the Luzon congressman shot down proposals for Guo to be placed under the Witness Protection Program (WPP). 

"I am not inclined to favor or support any effort to turn Guo Hua Ping into a state witness. No way is she classifiable as among the least guilty in all the money laundering, human trafficking, and illegal POGO operations she has been accused of," he said. 

"She is at the center of them all," Arrogancia claimed.