The Senate has scheduled a multi-executive session next Wednesday, June 5, to get to the bottom of the issues hounding Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who is being investigated over money laundering charges with links to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO).
Invitations to the meeting were extended to representatives from the national security agencies, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Bureau of Immigration, according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.
“This is a transnational crime with many facets… everything is possible. We saw everything that can possibly happen, especially when you talk about money laundering,” said Gatchalian on Thursday, emphasizing the serious nature of the allegations against Guo.
Gatchalian elaborated on the sources of laundered money, indicating it could stem from state-sponsored activities, illegal drugs, or other unlawful enterprises. “It did not pass through our regular banking system to avoid being traced due to illegal or irregular sources,” he said.
Leading the Senate investigation, alongside Gatchalian, is Sen. Risa Hontiveros. The ongoing probe focuses on Guo’s involvement in the POGO hub in Bamban, the largest of its kind, recently raided by authorities.
Complicating matters further, the Philippine National Police (PNP) revealed they are investigating intelligence reports suggesting Guo’s possible membership in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Hontiveros has accused Guo of espionage and highlighted her connections to convicted criminals in other countries.
Guo has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining her Filipino citizenship based on her birth certificate and passport. She also refuted claims of involvement in POGO activities and dismissed espionage allegations.
Meanwhile, Hontiveros disclosed on Thursday documents potentially identifying Guo’s mother as Lin Wen Yi, who is intricately involved in several of the mayor’s businesses.
Hontiveros pointed out that Lin, a Chinese national, was known as Guo’s mother by Valenzuela residents when they lived in the city.
Further scrutiny reveals that Guo’s businesses, including QJJ Group of Companies, QJJ Farms, QJJ Embroidery, QJJ Meat Shop, 3LIN-Q Farm, QJJ Slaughterhouse, and QSeed Genetics, list her siblings Shiela L. Guo and Siemen L. Guo, her father Jian Zhong Guo, and Lin as co-incorporators.
“As Sen. Win also noted, travel records show that Jian Zhong Guo and Lin Wen Yi traveled together at least 170 times in the span of six years. Is she just a business partner or a wife?” Hontiveros asked, casting further doubt on Guo’s claims.
Hontiveros also shared a Bureau of Internal Revenue document certifying the birthdates and addresses of Guo’s co-incorporators, who are alleged to be her family members, intensifying the scrutiny on Mayor Guo’s personal and professional associations.