Hontiveros fires back at Guo: 'We're allergic to liars'

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Friday bristled at the claim of suspended Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac that the Senate seems fixated on her in its investigation on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

The statement follows Guo’s appearance on Facebook (Meta) on Friday, where she denied involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate Sens. Hontiveros and Sherwin Gatchalian. Both senators are leading an investigation into the embattled mayor's possible connections to illegal POGOs.

“Mayor Alice Guo or Guo Hua Ping, you have more time for your Facebook posts than your actual attendance at the Senate. Attendance before the Senate hearings is adherence to the rule of law,” Hontiveros said.

“How can you have peace of mind when you are avoiding our questions? Don’t worry, we are not fixated on you. We are allergic to liars,” she added.

Hontiveros accused Guo of lying about her Filipino identity, when she is in fact a full-blooded Chinese with alleged links to a syndicate behind the illegal offshore gaming operations in Bamban, Tarlac.

Guo turned a blind eye on the human trafficking and digital scams perpetrated by the POGO which proliferated during her time as mayor, Hontiveros said.

In a statement on Friday, Gatchalian lauded the business community for supporting the senators’ position to ban POGOs.

“I am delighted to learn that major business groups in the country support our advocacy to ban POGOs in the country in line with the position taken by our economic managers,” Gatchalian said. 

— Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Rhodina Villanueva