Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay refuted allegations of a romantic relationship with dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo during a Senate inquiry on Tuesday. Despite rumors linking the two, Calugay firmly stated, “Magkaibigan lang… Hindi ko po siya girlfriend,” clarifying that they are only friends.
The speculation arose after it was discovered that one of Calugay’s staff members, Cheryl Medina, had arranged for the notarization of Guo’s counter-affidavit while Guo was out of the country. This raised concerns among senators about the nature of the pair’s relationship.
During the hearing, Sen. Risa Hontiveros highlighted five business registrations in Sual that appeared to link the two, including entities named Guco Aqua Farm, Licsel Fish Farm, and Donguo Fish Farm. Hontiveros noted that the names seemed to combine Calugay’s and Guo’s names, with Guo Hua Ping being the name of a Chinese national whose fingerprints were matched to Alice Guo by the National Bureau of Investigation.
Calugay, however, denied any involvement in the businesses. “Wala po akong ganyang negosyo po,” he said, maintaining that his only business is in trucking.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada humorously compared the pair to the popular Filipino celebrity couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera, joking, “Tinalo nyo pa si DongYan ah? Mede-deny n’yo pa ba ito?”
Calugay continued to deny the rumors, emphasizing that their relationship is strictly platonic. Guo, in her previous statements, also maintained that she and Calugay are just friends.