Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday, September 8 said he is skeptical of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo’s claims of receiving death threats, noting her actions were contradictory.
“Parang contradicting. Umalis ka dahil may death threat pero bumalik ka at feel safe ka. Kaya, yun ay para sa akin contradicting at alam naman natin itong taong to. Umpisa pa lang nagsisinungaling na kaya hindi ako naniniwala sa kanyang sinasabi na meron siyang death threat (It seems contradicting. You left because there was a death threat, but you came back and say you feel safe. So, that to me is contradicting and we know this person. She has been lying from the start, so I don't believe her when she said that she has a death threat),” Gatchalian said in an interview on Radio DZBB.
“In fact, sa Indonesia, kung nasundan ko nga yung coverage, maraming tumutulong sa kanyang umikot doon (In fact, in Indonesia, when I was monitoring the coverage, there were many people who helped her there),” he said of the mayor, who also goes by the Chinese name Guo Hua Ping.
“Maraming tumutulong na makatakas siya doon. Kaya, yung mga taong yun, kung yun yung kanyang, kalaban, eh, dapat may nangyari na sa kanya doon. Pero, imbes tinutulungan pa siya. Nahuli lang talaga siya ng Indonesian government (There were many persons who helped her escape. So if those people are her enemies, then something should have happened to her already when she was there. But instead, they were helping her out. She was just captured by the Indonesian government),” he pointed out.
During Guo’s meeting with Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos in Jakarta, the former mayor was overheard asking for help regarding the supposed death threats against her.
Her lawyer, Stephen David had also said Guo relayed the information about her death threats to her family and associates.
Guo had also cited the death threats she has been receiving as one of the reasons why she could not attend the Senate inquiry into her alleged involvement in POGOs, based on the letter she sent to Sen. Risa Hontiveros last July.
Gatchalian confirmed having received reports it was Jiang Jie, president of Lucky South 99, the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub that was raided by authorities in Porac, Pampanga, who was helping out Guo in Indonesia.
“Isa ito sa mga nakatakas nakita namin sa flight records, umalis rin siya ng bansa. Kaya, ang information ko, ito talaga yung isa sa mga big boss ng Lucky South 99. Involved po sa mga Pogo at scamming activities. At ito rin yung tumutulong kay Guo Hua Ping na makatakas at palipat-lipat sa Indonesia (This is one of the bosses who escaped based on the flight records we found. He also left the country. So, according to my information, this is actually one of the big bosses of Lucky South 99. He is involved in POGO and scamming activities. And this person was also who helped Guo Hua Ping escape and move around Indonesia),” he said.
On Sunday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Guo would be handcuffed while wearing a bulletproof vest when she is transferred to the Senate to attend the continuation of the hearing on POGOs on Monday, September 9.
PNP Spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said Guo will leave the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City by 8 a.m. on Monday in time for the Senate hearing scheduled at 10 a.m.
Members of the PNP-Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) would also be part of the security escorts for Guo, Fajardo said.
Capas, Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 109 Presiding Judge Sarah Vedaña-Delos Santos had ordered the PNP to bring Guo to the Senate on Monday, citing the relevance of the Upper Chamber’s investigation on the graft case pending before her court.