Credits: Rappler
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian sharply criticized suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo on Saturday, accusing her of dishonesty amid the ongoing Senate investigation into her citizenship and alleged ties to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
“I don’t think she should put too much premium on herself. This is in aid of legislation so we can help the country fight POGOs, fight people who abuse our system, and rid our government of people who lie about their past and their documents,” Gatchalian stated during an interview with ANC.
The controversy escalated on Thursday night when Guo, currently in hiding due to a Senate arrest order, posted a lengthy statement on Facebook. In her post, she expressed concern and confusion over what she described as the Senate’s “fixation” on her. Guo suggested that Senators Gatchalian and Risa Hontiveros, among others, were using her to further their political ambitions.
Gatchalian, who co-leads the POGO investigation with Hontiveros, dismissed Guo’s claims as a distraction from the substantial evidence against her. “The bottomline here is Alice Guo is lying and she is evading the invitation of the Senate because she cannot give straight answers and evidence is just too strong. That’s why the bottomline is she is diverting attention,” he asserted.
The senator also criticized Guo’s justification of “stress and trauma” for avoiding the Senate probe, emphasizing that as an elected official, she must be accountable to the public. “Once you enter public service, once you go into the public limelight, you have to be prepared to see a lot of criticisms… We have to be ready for that as public servants. That’s the reality of public service,” Gatchalian said.
Guo has filed a petition with the Supreme Court to prevent the Senate from compelling her attendance at their investigations. Gatchalian expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would dismiss Guo’s petition, citing the “long-standing” tradition of respect among co-equal branches of government. “I’m very sure the SC will recognize that the Congress and Senate is a co-equal branch and it is mandated to conduct investigations in aid of legislation and we can invite resource persons to help us craft effective legislation,” he explained.
The Supreme Court has instructed Hontiveros’ panel to comment on Guo’s petition.
