MANILA, Philippines — Former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo disclosed a “crucial personality” allegedly involved in Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) during an executive session with lawmakers, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Wednesday, September 25.
Guo, who is suspected to be Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, was offered a chance to share more information with senators behind closed doors. The former mayor has remained tight-lipped for the most part in the Senate hearings that probed her links to POGO, but insisted that she is innocent and hinted that there is someone who is “most guilty”.
Sen. JV Ejercito offered her an executive session, which Guo reluctantly agreed to, as long as her lawyers were on the phone.
Hontiveros, who has gone through 14 POGO hearings, was unsatisfied.
“Hindi pa din ako masyadong satisfied sa mga pahayag sa executive session, bagamat there was one crucial personality confirmed by Guo Hua Ping. This corroborates a theory that the committee shared a month ago,” Hontiveros said.
(I am not too satisfied with the statement in the executive session, however, there is one crucial personality confirmed by Guo Hua Ping. This corroborates a theory that the committee shared a month ago.)
Hontiveros did not specify which theory this was.
During the course of the hearings with Guo, rumors of a Philippine National Police (PNP) chief being in the pocket of POGOs surfaced.
While these rumors are unverified, photos of former PNP Chief Benjamin Acorda together with personalities tagged in POGOs have emerged during the Senate proceedings. These were taken before his post as PNP chief.
Some of these personalities include Alice and her brother, Wesley Guo, as well as Michael Yang’s brother, Yang Jianxin.
Hontiveros has questioned what police authorities could be doing fraternizing with such personalities.
“Since photos of a former chief PNP and other PNP personalities with POGO personalities were shown, we deem it important to give them a platform to respond in the interest of fairness,” Hontiveros said in the same statement.