Guo allegedly offered P1-billion bribe to settle legal issues — ex-senator

MANILA, Philippines — Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo allegedly offered a bribe worth P1 billion for help with her legal troubles, a former senator said.

In a Radyo 630 interview on Wednesday, September 11, forner senator Panfilo Lacson cited information from a Filipino-Chinese friend – with contacts to the First Family – who was allegedly approached by Guo for help.

Lacson said Guo was willing to pay P1 billion to fix her legal woes with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.

The Filipino-Chinese businessman did not help Guo with her request, Lacson clarified.

The former senator urged the intelligence community to look into Guo and her potential to be a national security risk because of her alleged use of her position as mayor to help a syndicate behind an illegal offshore casino.

“If she were a foreign spy, that is bad for us because as a member of Congress, she would have access to highly classified documents due to her high security clearance,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Senate ways and means committee will conduct a public hearing today on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to ban Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian will preside over the hearing.

The hearing will also tackle the proposed Anti-Online Gambling Act filed by Sens. Alan Peter Cayetano and Joel Villanueva, a bill taxing POGOs by Gatchalian and a proposed Anti-POGO Act by Villanueva. –  Marc Jayson Cayabyab