The Senate has ordered the arrest and detention of suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and seven others after they failed to attend a Senate investigation into alleged illegal activities by Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), Phil Star reported.
Senate President Francis Escudero and Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality, signed the arrest order on July 11. The order mandates the arrest and detention of Guo at the Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms until she agrees to testify before the committee.
“The Sergeant-At-Arms is hereby directed to carry out and implement this Order and make a return hereof within twenty-four (24) hours from its enforcement,” the order stated.
The arrest order came after Guo repeatedly failed to attend Senate hearings on June 26 and July 10. The committee, chaired by Hontiveros, cited Guo and others in contempt on July 10 following motions by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
Guo, along with Dennis Lacson Cunanan, Nancy Jimenez Gamo, her parents Jian Zhong Guo and Wen Yi Lin, and her siblings Seimen, Sheila, and Wesley, are accused of obstructing the Senate inquiry into illegal POGOs.
In a letter to the Senate, Guo claimed she was “physically and mentally unfit” to attend the July 10 hearing due to “malicious accusations” and death threats. She also mentioned the difficulty in obtaining a medical certificate, as medical professionals feared facing similar humiliation.
Senators found Guo’s excuses unacceptable, noting that she had previously cited mental health issues for missing the June 26 hearing, shortly after being charged with qualified human trafficking by the Department of Justice. Hontiveros emphasized the importance of mental health but insisted that Guo’s testimony is crucial given the serious allegations. She offered to arrange for a government doctor to attend to Guo if necessary.
Senator Gatchalian suggested that the absence of invited resource speakers at the committee’s fourth hearing on illegal POGO hub activities might indicate a “sign of guilt.”