Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Wednesday that Shiela Guo would not make a reliable state witness against her supposed sister, fugitive ex-Bamban Mayor Alice Guo.
“I cannot believe that Alice Guo would take a fishing boat for three days to reach Sabah, [Malaysia]…it is hard to believe if she came from Bongao or Zamboanga, or Tawi-tawi, it is still possible but not for her to come from Zambales and 1,300 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu [Malaysia],” he told reporters in Filipino.
Remulla said that he found Shiela’s testimonies “unbelievable” during the joint hearing of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights and Committees on Women, Children,
Family Relations and Gender Equality, and Public Services.
“Where can you sleep on a fishing boat? You will be there for three days plus the strong waves of the sea… so I don’t believe in that,” he stressed.
Although Remulla believes the Chinese origins of Shiela may be true, he noted deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing is still the best evidence to prove her claim that she is unrelated to Alice.
He said it is necessary to prove that her testimony is indispensable before she can qualify as a state witness.
In a separate interview at the Senate, Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty admitted the possibility that Shiela is qualified to be a state witness.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but she’s qualified. If you’ll think about it, she isn’t the mastermind behind this illegal activity. If we will believe her, it seems like she was just dragged into it or was brought into it by her companions,” he said in Filipino.
While this remains a possibility, Ty said the DOJ and the courts will best determine who may be a state witness.
He pointed out that before a person can be considered a state witness, Republic Act 6981 or the “Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act” requires “the absolute necessity for his/her testimony, absence of direct evidence available for the proper prosecution, substantial corroboration of statements on its material points, does not appear to be most guilty, and he has not at any time been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude.”
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to speed up the filing of cases against the dismissed mayor and her associates.
The senator expressed impatience with the AMLC during Wednesday’s hearing, saying it is clear that money laundering was involved in setting up a hub for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the Tarlac municipality.
AMLC Deputy Director for Investigation and Enforcement Department Adrian Arpon said his office aims to file the first money laundering case related to POGO activities in Bamban within the week.
He added that the investigation into the Porac POGO case is still ongoing, with the AMLC continuing to gather information.
Gatchalian also inquired about possibly obtaining a hold departure order against all respondents still in the country.
Ty responded that one option is to request a precautionary hold departure order from the court.
“Our goal is to ensure that those involved in crime do not escape again, as happened in the POGO incidents in Bamban and Porac,” said Gatchalian.
At the same hearing, Gatchalian urged Shiela to cooperate with the government in revealing the irregularities committed by Alice Guo and her family.
As these developed, the House of Representatives quad committee on Wednesday cited Cassandra Li Ong in contempt anew, this time for her refusal to answer questions from legislators.
The quad committee headed by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers reminded Ong she cannot hide behind the “right to remain silent” given previous Supreme Court decisions on the matter.
She will be detained at Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong City.
Ong earlier was cited for contempt by the House quadcomm after repeatedly failing to attend hearings related to POGO-related crimes, including those allegedly involving Lucky South 99, whose hub in Porac was raided by authorities.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Remulla: Shiela Guo not reliable state witness.”
The Bureau of Immigration is downgrading the working visas of POGO employees to tourist visas. BI chief Norman Tansingco said POGO workers have 59 days to leave country from their visa downgrade.
