MANILA, Philippines — The probe into Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) has exposed the failings of several government agencies, Senate President Francis Escudero said on Friday.
Asked if he shared Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian’s belief that suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo had fled the country with her Chinese passport, Escudero said that if she did, it would add to the long list of failings, particularly on the part of the Bureau of Immigration.
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“Pagpapakita yan, hindi lamang ng kapabayaan, kung hindi negligence kung saka-sakali na ating Bureau of Immigration,” Escudero said.
(It shows not just carelessness, but negligence on the part of the Bureau of Immigration.)
Escudero said that while there is no hold departure order for Guo, immigration officials must know if she has left the country with either Chinese or Philippine passports. The senate president did not stop there, saying that other lapses in government were exposed.
“Itong imbestigasyon sa POGO, pinapakita ang tila kapalpakan ng ilang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan,” said Escudero. (This POGO investigation has shown the failings of several government agencies.)
The Philippine Statistics Authority was also criticized for supposedly producing birth certificates with false information. Escudero said birth certifications served as the basis for other important identifying documents such as passports,
Escudero did not find a lack of coordination between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the immigration bureau. It was the DFA that granted tourist visas, which foreign nationals could convert to working visas under the BI. Escudero criticized the lack of information sharing between the two agencies.
Escudero also questioned if tourism numbers are still accurate given this scheme.
Where did Guo go?
Guo’s Facebook page is still active despite the Bamban Mayor refusing to attend any more Senate hearings.
But Escudero said Guo was within her right to say what she wanted, but she was in no place to choose what forum she wanted to share her side of the story. He maintained that the Senate’s warrant of arrest went through the proper processes.
“Flight is evidence of guilt. Ang kawalan ng kagustuhang sumuko at boluntaryong magpakita at sumagot sa mga simpleng katarungan, bagama’t hindi siya pinepwersang umamin, ay pagpapakita na marahil may tinatago siya,” Escudero said.
(Flight is evidence of guilt. Not wanting to surrender to voluntarily show yourself and answer simple questions, despite no one forcing you to admit to anything, only shows that you have something to hide.)
The Department of Justice is already seeking a hold departure order for Guo, who is currently facing human trafficking complaints.