All systems Guo: Alice set to appear in Senate on Monday
MANILA, Philippines — It’s final: Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo is set to face the Senate on Monday, September 9.
The Senate was initially the only body that could detain Guo when she was brought back to the Philippines, as it was the only one that had an arrest warrant for her.
However, on the day that Guo was set to return to the Philippines following her arrest in Indonesia, a Tarlac court suddenly issued an arrest warrant for her. This created a conflict on who should detain the former mayor.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros questioned why a local court suddenly issued an arrest order when cases against municipal mayors should have fallen under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan. She wrote to Regional Trial Court of Tarlac Judge Sarah Bacolod Vedeña-Delos Santos, requesting that Guo be allowed to attend the Senate hearing on Monday.
Judge Vedeña-Delos Santos agreed, stating “The PNP (Philippine National Police) Custodial Center is ordered to bring the accused to the public hearing on the mentioned date and time.”
Guo is currently held at Camp Crame, Quezon City, after refusing to post bail for the criminal charges in Tarlac.
Hontiveros, who has led the Senate investigation into Guo for several months, expressed frustration, having expected Guo to appear before the Senate.
“I respect the judiciary's right to issue a warrant, but the Senate had the first arrest warrant against her. The Senate triggered the manhunt, and it was the Senate's warrant that law enforcement carried to Jakarta,” Hontiveros said.
Guo faces charges of money laundering and human trafficking related to her alleged involvement with Philippine offshore gaming operators.
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