'Allergic lang kami sa mga sinungaling': Hontiveros claps back at Guo who questioned Senate's 'fixation' on her
Suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo took a swipe at senators Win Gatchalian and Risa Hontiveros for supposedly being "fixated" on her—amid crimes involving Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) in her bailiwick, and amid several questions regarding her true identity and discrepancies in several documents concerning her.
In a Facebook post on July 18, Guo, who was summoned to Senate hearings on the issue, said she regretted that she was unable to attend the last two sessions "due to the severe exhaustion and trauma" she experienced following the earlier hearings and the numerous cases filed against her.
"My primary priority now is my health and peace of mind, so that I can properly address all the legal issues directed at me," she said.
Guo said she's "deeply concerned" about Gatchalian and Hontiveros, and "keep questioning" why they "seem fixated on me."
"If they have evidence against me, I am ready to face them in a fair trial and at a proper forum," she said.
Noting she doesn't "wish to be used by anyone to boost their political ambitions," Guo claimed that the senators are "continuously threatening" her with arrest and accusing her of complicity in POGO-related crimes, which she said are "untrue and unfounded."
"Am I really the country's biggest problem that they need to focus on? Or they just want to project me as the antagonist/villain?" she said.
She also denied involvement in the death threats that Gatchalian received amid the issue.
She called the news about her "baseless," and that she's "being accused of all sorts of things because I am currently at the center of public attention."
The suspended mayor also denied that she holds a Chinese passport.
Hontiveros claps back
Hours after Guo's post, Hontiveros on Facebook called the mayor out and addressed her as "Guo Hua Ping," saying the mayor writes more Facebook posts than attending the Senate hearings.
"Attendance before the Senate hearings is adherence to the rule of law," Hontiveros said. "So sadly for you, hindi katumbas ng attendance mo sa Senado ang maya’t maya mong pagso-social media."
Referencing Guo's words, the senator said Guo wouldn't have "peace of mind" if she kept evading questions.
"Kung nakakalimutan mo, pinapatawag ka dahil nasa gitna ka ng pang-aabuso ng POGO sa mga batas natin, na hinayaan mong lumawak dahil sa impluwensya mo bilang Mayor," she said.
Hontiveros slammed Guo for allegedly lying about her connection to POGOs and her identity, as well as further fabricating stories in her social media posts.
"[A]t kada log-in mo sa Facebook, may bago ka na namang iniimbento," she said.
"Huwag kayong mag-alala, hindi kami fixated sa'yo," Hontiveros added. "Allergic lang kami sa mga sinungaling."
Gatchalian has yet to react to Guo's statement.
Guo has been subject to scrutiny since she was allegedly linked to two POGOs in her bailiwick: Hongsheng Gaming Technology Incorporated, which was raided in February 2023, and Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated, which was raided in March this year. The POGOs were accused of trafficking and scams.
She was questioned as to why she was supposedly unaware of such alleged illegal activities. In past Senate hearings, she was asked about her background to confirm her nationality, especially since she currently holds a high post in the local government.
Guo has since maintained that she's Filipino and has denied having ties to POGOs in Bamban and being a Chinese spy. She also said that she was raised on the farm of her father, was homeschooled, and that her maid of a mother left her.
But as weeks passed, authorities discovered discrepancies in several documents involving Guo, as well as holes in her stories. These include documents alleging she's a Chinese national whose real name is Guo Hua Ping.
The National Bureau of Investigation also found that there's a third "Alice Guo" who applied for an NBI Clearance.
On July 13, the Senate issued arrest orders against Guo and her family members, ex-government official Dennis Cunanan, and her former accountant Nancy Gamo for skipping hearings on the raided POGO hub in her hometown. Gomo is already under Senate's custody, while Guo and her family couldn't be located.
A lawyer for Guo said she's still in the Philippines.
On July 15, Hontiveros on Facebook called out Guo for her absence from hearings.
Guo asked to be excused from the hearings due to health and mental health concerns, but Hontiveros noted the letter from Guo did not include a medical certificate.