These lawmakers are making headlines for their sharp questions at the House hearings on Alice Guo, POGOs
Alice Guo has been in hot water in the past months amid the investigation into her alleged involvement in illegal offshore gaming operations in the country. Lawmakers have been asking her hard-hitting questions during the hearings, hoping to unveil truths about POGOs in Bamban, Tarlac as well as the dismissed mayor's identity and citizenship.
Following her appearances at the House of Representatives' quad-committee inquiries, several lawmakers made the rounds on social media for their sharp questions that made people see a different side of Guo as she appeared to even lose her cool in certain moments.
Below are some of the lawmakers that were somehow able to press Guo to the edge during the recent House probes.
Davao Oriental 2nd District Rep. Cheeno Almario
During the Sept. 27 hearing, Almario presented an Al Jazeera documentary about imprisoned tycoon She Zhijiang, who alleged that he has connections with Guo Hua Ping—believed to be Guo's true identity. It also showed documents allegedly pointing to her personal life, including her childhood photos and address in Fujian Province in China, where Guo supposedly lived before she moved to the Philippines.
When Almario asked if she knew Zhijang, Guo denied this as she appeared to get upset.
"Your Honor, ‘yung She Zhijang na sinasabi niyo po, ‘yun ba ‘yung pinakita niyo po kanina sa akin sa picture? Hindi ko po siya kilala at sana po, your Honor, Mr. Chair, makuha ko rin po ‘yung details. Gusto ko pong magdemanda," Guo said.
Almario noted that Guo could not sue him as Zhijiang has been imprisoned in Thailand since 2022.
He also emphasized that the documentary was made based on investigations from a separate entity, but there are still coincidences with Guo's case. "Even if we have been making our own research, pulling up our own inquiries, this is another source from a completely different party, and is unrelated to what we do," he said.
Almario was elected as Davao Oriental representative in 2022 under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan party. His committee memberships include Information and Communication Technology, Tourism, and Mindanao Affairs as vice chairperson as well as Appropriations, Rural Development, and National Defense and Security, among others.
He is also one of the principal authors of House Bill No. 14 or the SIM Card Registration Act, HB No. 4488 or the RA 11935 General Appropriations Act for the 2023 budget, and HB No. 2633 or the act establishing a special education school in Brgy, La Union, Davao Oriental.
Almario previously served as the City Councilor of Mati, Davao Oriental. Having been exposed to politics since he was young, Almario's grandmother, Thelma, previously served as Mati mayor and congresswoman for the province’s second district. His father, Joel Mayo, also served as the vice governor of the province and was a former member of Congress.
1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez
Rep. Ramon Gutierrez made headlines at the same hearing when he asserted that Guo was lying about her age. He revealed that he personally knows some of Guo's classmates at Grace Christian School as he showed their class picture.
When asked about the photo, Guo was quick to invoke her right against self-incrimination, which Gutierrez noted was a sign of lying.
Guo said, “Your Honor, I hope you understand, there are so many cases filed against me before the courts. That’s why anything I will say here might be used against me po.”
“Well I think that’s why I have a tendency not to believe you, because if that really is not you, I think you would have said that’s not you,” Gutierrez said. He also noted that his friends, whom he met in college, were born around 1991 and 1992, while Guo has been claiming she was born in 1986.
“Why do I not believe that? I can identify two of the people behind you. Magkabatch po tayo, Ms. Guo. I know what year this was taken, and they have a description of you—no’ng pumasok ka po sa Grace, napakathick po ng accent ninyo, Mandarin lang ang kaya niyong salitain, but you were very friendly and you were very makulit,” Gutierrez shared, adding that Guo’s former classmates nicknamed her as “Ping.”
Gutierrez was elected in 2022 and is among the members of the minority. Some of the House bills he principally authored include HB 3412, or an act regulating the operations of motorcycle-for-hire; HB 4102, or an act imposing an excise tax on single-use plastic bags; and HB 3410 or an act creating a unified approach to traffic enforcement, including the formulation and approval of the No Contact Apprehension Policy.
Batangas 2nd district Rep. Jinky Luistro
At the House quad-comm hearing, Rep. Gerville “Jinky” Luistro presented supposed photos of a certain Chinese community congratulating Guo for being elected as mayor along with snaps from her childhood and her Chinese passport as Luistro further questioned her identity. The dismissed mayor only ended up invoking her right against self-incrimination.
Luistro also asked Guo about her connections to raided Hongsheng, Zun Yuan, and Baofu POGO companies, revealing some documents that bear her name, which Guo denied.
Luistro was elected in 2022 under the Nationalist People’s Coalition. Her committee memberships include agriculture and food, human rights, and justice, among others. She is also the principal author of HB No. 4 or RA 11967, an act providing a regulatory framework to protect consumers and merchants in e-commerce; HB No. 227 or RA 11965 or an act protecting the rights and welfare of caregivers; and HB 1270 or the Eddie Garcia Law that protects TV and movie makers in the country.
She used to be a municipal administrator during the term of her husband, former Mabini mayor Noel Luistro.
PBA party-list Rep. Migs Nograles
@philippinestar Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo loses her cool after being confronted with an excerpt of a documentary video of a self-confessed Chinese spy who tagged her as an asset. "Emotional po ako kasi unfair po para sakin na para sabihan ako na spy po ako," Guo told PBA party-list Rep. Migs Nograles after asking Guo the reason behind her attitude. Davao Oriental 2nd District Rep. Cheeno Almario presented a video documentary featuring Chinese spy She Zhijang who claimed Alice Guo had asked him for money to fund her candidacy for mayor of Bamban. The same documentary showed Guo's alleged Chinese birth certificate and house in Fujian, China. She, who is fighting extradition to China over charges related to operating online gambling sites, said the man promised to “get rid” of the case against him in exchange for being a spy for the Chinese government. #newsph #philippinestar #aliceguo ♬ original sound - Philippine STAR
Rep. Margarita “Migs” Nograles was also among the lawmakers who got Guo riled up during the hearing last Sept. 27.
Nograles questioned Guo about the possible “benefit” that Zhijiang would get upon naming her as a Chinese asset, to which the dismissed Bamban mayor replied, "Your Honor, I think it’s better for you to ask him kasi siya po ‘yong naglabas ng video so siya po ang nakaka-alam kung ano ang makakapag-benefit sa kanya, definitely hindi po ako spy.”
Seemingly noticing her agitated manner of speaking, Nograles said, "Okay, relax ka lang. Bakit ka galit?"
"Kasi po ganito rin ‘yung nangyari last time, sinasabi po nila spy ako. Mahal ko po ang Pilipinas, Filipino po ako, hindi po ako spy," Guo stressed.
Nograles urged her to "relax" as she didn't have to be "so riled up if you know the truth.” Nevertheless, Guo expressed her intention to file a case against Zhijang.
“Masyado kang defensive. It’s showing something, Miss Guo,” Nograles added.
Nograles is the daughter of the late Rep. Prospero “Boy” Nograles, who was a House speaker from 2008 to 2010. After pursuing law both in the Philippines and abroad, she became a member of the Philippine International Center for Conflict Resolution (PICCR) and the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. (PDRCI).
She also hosts an online show on her social media pages dubbed Paano Ba Attorney?, where she educates people about law by answering questions from her followers.
Some of the bills she principally authored are HB No. 4 or RA 11967, an act providing a regulatory framework to protect consumers and merchants in e-commerce; HB 1364 or an act seeking more benefits and privileges for single persons and their dependents; and HB 2886 or an act seeking a stronger and expanded coverage of the Anti-Bullying Law.
The months-long investigation into illegal POGO hubs in the Philippines is set to continue. Guo is in the middle of it as she is allegedly linked to two POGOs in Bamban: Hongsheng Gaming Technology Incorporated, which was raided in February 2023, and Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated, which was raided in March this year. These were likewise accused of trafficking and scams.
