Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero Speaks on Arrest Order for Mayor Alice Guo
CHIZ ESCUDERO – The Senate President ordered the review of the Senate rules and Mayor Alice Guo may be allowed to use gadgets during detention if arrested.
One of the politicians in the Philippines who recently went trending online is suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. She was previously summoned by the Senate to attend hearings over her alleged involvement in the Philippine Offshore Gaming operations in her town.
Mayor Guo is also being questioned of her identity after her fingerprints matched with the fingerprints of a Chinese national, Guo Hua Ping. Her huge wealth deposited in her multiple bank accounts is also being questioned.
The Court of Appeals previously released a Freeze Order on the assets of Mayor Alice Guo amid the many accusations against her. A money-laundering case was also filed against the suspended Mayor after billions were reportedly deposited in her multiple bank accounts from 2019.
Currently, there is an arrest order for Mayor Alice Guo issued by the Senate. She did not attend the Senate hearing scheduled last June 26 and July 10. According to her legal counsel, Attorney Stephen David, the Mayor is “traumatized” by how she was treated.
The Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms or OSAA was ordered to serve the arrest order against Guo and 7 others within 24 hours. However, there was negative presence of the suspended Mayor in all her registered addresses. Mayor Alice Guo’s lawyer released a statement amid the speculations that she is hiding.
Recently, in an interview, Senate President Chiz Escudero stressed that the arrest order for Mayor Alice Guo is not a form of penalty or punishment. According to the Senate President, it is just a way to make sure that she will attend the hearing set by the upper chamber.
Sen. Chiz Escudero also assured the Mayor and her camp of her safety during detention in the Senate if arrested. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, he also sees nothing wrong if Mayor Guo will be allowed to use gadgets during detention so he already ordered for the review of the Senate rules in detention.
If arrested, Guo will be detained in a facility near a Philippine National Police (PNP) detachment within the Senate premises. The suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor will be detained with her female relatives in a room while the male resource persons will be detained in a facility in the basement of the Senate.