Former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and five other personalities failed to attend the last day of Senate’s probe on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) after a Pasig court denied the request for their attendance.
The Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 167 denied Senate’s request for Guo and others to attend the legislative inquiry as it coincides with the schedule of their court hearings on November 26.
In her letter to the Senate, Presiding Judge Annielyn Medes- Cabelis said the request cannot be granted as the concerned persons have scheduled court hearings at 8:30am.
The hearing of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros was scheduled on the same day at 9am.
Guo and five others have pending cases in the said court for graft, qualified human trafficking, money laundering, and tax evasion due to their involvement in the illegal POGO activities.
Other accused whose attendance were denied include Jamielyn Santos Cruz, Thelma Barroso Larangan, Rita Sapnu Yturralde, Rowena Evangelista and Rachelle Joan Alonzo Carreon.
During the last day of Senate probe, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) tagged Guo as ‘agent of influence’ in the POGOs.
NICA Deputy Director General Ashley Acedillo described that the agents of influence use their position to sway public opinion or decision- making to benefit a foreign country that they work for.
(Senate of the Philippines photo)
Abner is an award-winning journalist. He received the prestigious 2015 Titus Brandsma Award for Community Communication in the Philippines and participated in the 2016 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the United States of America, sponsored by the US Embassy in the Philippines. Founder of WATCH NORTH COTABATO, a media-citizens’ transparency group. He worked as a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and CNN Philippines. His experience in broadcasting includes anchoring for Brigada News FM in Kidapawan and General Santos City and Brigada News TV. He anchors Tira Brigada via 105.1 Brigada News FM Manila, Mondays-Saturdays.