Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo temporarily left the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Friday morning, Sept. 6, to go to a local court in Tarlac.

PNP spokesperson Police Col. Jean Fajardo said that Guo left the detention facility around 9:40 a.m. while being escorted by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

She was brought to the Capas, Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 109, which ordered her arrest for violation of Sections 3(E)and 3(H) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act based on the charges filed by the Department of the Interior and Local government (DILG).

Accordingly, the court set the bail for each violation at P90,000.

“As a matter of procedure ay dadalhin siya physically kay judge para ipakita na siya ay naaresto at mag-aantay tayo ng decision ng korte kung maglalabas ba ito ng commitment order para siya ay i-commit sa ibang detention facility (As a matter of procedure, she was brought physically to the judge to show that she has been arrested and we will wait for the decision of the court if a commitment order will be issued for her detention in a different detention facility),” Fajardo said.

Otherwise, Guo will be sent back to the PNP Custodial Center, Fajardo said.

After being transported back to the Philippines from Indonesia around 1:30 a.m. Friday, Guo was served with an arrest warrant by the CIDG for alleged violation of the RA 3019.

She was brought to the PNP Custodial Center where she was detained for a few hours before being transported to Tarlac.

“Kagabi ay pinayagan naman siya na makausap ‘yung kanyang lawyer na isa at ngayon ay napansin niyo na marami pong lawyers niya na dumating doon. Bago siya dumating sa RTC ay binigyan ulit natin sila ng pagkakataon na makapag-usap (She was allowed to talk to her lawyer last night and if you’ve noticed, many of her lawyers have started arriving since then. Before she went to the RTC, we gave them the chance to talk again),” Fajardo said.

According to the PNP, the warrant of arrest issued by the court takes precedence over the arrest warrant issued by the Senate.

“Kung magkakaroon ng hearing ulit ang Senado at nasa custody pa siya ng PNP at hindi pa nakakapagbail, ang ibig sabihin noon ay nasa hurisdiksyon pa rin siya ng korte (If there will be a Senate hearing and she is still under the custody of the PNP and she hasn’t posted bail yet, that means she is still under the jurisdiction of the court),” Fajardo explained.

In that case, the PNP said that the Senate must request to the court to allow Guo to appear in the Senate hearing.

The PNP said under the law, an individual that is under detention and submitted to the jurisdiction of the court cannot be easily released or transferred without proper court order.

“Nasa korte ang jurisdiction ngayon. Kahit ang PNP ay wala pong authority na basta ilabas siya ng detention facility without a court order. Kung magbail siya, definitely irerelease siya ng PNP. Ibig sabihin, wala na po siya sa custody ng PNP (The jurisdiction is within the court. Even the PNP has no authority to release her from the detention facility without a court order. If she posts bail, definitely the PNP will release her. That means, she is no longer under PNP custody),” Fajardo said.

“Kung sakaling magbail siya at iserve yung arrest order ng Senate, the Senate could take custody of her (If she posts bail and the Senate serves their arrest order, the Senate could take custody of her),” she added.

No special treatment

The PNP said that no special treatment will be given to Guo at the Custodial Center.

“She will be treated as an ordinary detainee,” Fajardo said. Guo was assigned to a one-bedroom unit with a comfort room but without an air conditioning unit.

The PNP also allayed Guo’s fear for her life, saying that the detention facility is a secure place. Upon her arrival from Indonesia, Guo claimed to DILG Sec. Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. and PNP chief Police Gen. Rommel Marbil that she has been receiving death threats.

“We have to take into consideration itong sinasabi niyang death threat. On the part of the PNP, hangga’t nandito siya sa kustodiya ng PNP makakasiguro ‘yung mga kaanak at pamilya niya na magiging secure siya (We have to take into consideration the death threat that she was saying. On the part of the PNP, as long as she remains under the custody of the PNP, her family and relatives can be assured that she will be secured),” Fajardo said.