Authorities businesses make up for the embarrassing Alice Guo departure by ensuring two useful persons are cornered
MANILA, Philippines – After an embarrassing lapse that allow dismissed mayor Alice Guo overseas, Philippine brokers pulled off in only some days a cross-border operation to make up for it: get two different useful individuals, and make them face Congress the place the foundations are extra versatile.
On Tuesday, August 27, Sheila Guo, Alice’s sister, and Cassandra Li Ong, the Porac Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator’s (POGO) authorities liaison, are set to look earlier than a Senate inquiry. Guo is already within the custody of the Senate the place “a round the clock safety group” is posted close to her, mentioned the Senate public data and media relations workplace.
Ong, however, was transferred to the Home of Representatives on Monday. The Senate has coordinated with the Home to convey Ong from Batasan to Pasay on Tuesday.
Whereas Sheila Guo and Ong are anticipated to be interrogated on Tuesday, authorities businesses may also be beneath scrutiny for Alice Guo’s departure regardless of an immigration lookout and a Senate warrant. Immigration, transport, aviation, and international affairs officers had been invited to Tuesday’s listening to.
There’s a tussle now amongst authorities businesses whether or not or to not transfer to cancel Alice Guo’s Philippine passport. Malacañang has invoked the passport legislation provision {that a} risk to nationwide safety is usually a foundation, and requested the Division of Overseas Affairs (DFA) to cancel Alice Guo’s passport.
Nonetheless, after a number of days, each the Division of Justice (DOJ) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Fee (PAOCC) expressed apprehension, saying canceling Alice Guo’s passport wouldn’t be sensible. The DFA has not commented on the difficulty as of writing.
“We see that her having a sound Philippine passport will compel the host nation to return her to the Philippines, and to not wherever else,” mentioned Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval on Monday.
The working principle is that if the Philippine passport is canceled, Alice Guo can be pressed to accumulate a Chinese language or different passport by way of any means, which may put her outdoors of the Philippines’ attain.
How Sheila Guo and Ong had been cornered
Ong’s lawyer Ferdinand Topacio mentioned on Monday that the DOJ made a mockery of guidelines and processes once they detained the 2 on the Nationwide Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with out a warrant.
“That’s arbitrary detention,” mentioned Topacio.
The rationale the 2 at the moment are beneath congressional custody is as a result of it’s the legally viable method to detain them. Each homes of Congress have powers to arrest and detain individuals discovered to be in contempt of those establishments. Sheila Guo and Ong are in contempt of Congress for snubbing invitations to attend earlier hearings into felony syndicates masquerading as POGOs.
To get a courtroom warrant of arrest would imply going by way of prosecution. Neither Sheila Guo nor Ong had been included within the certified trafficking criticism filed in opposition to Alice Guo, which is presently being resolved by prosecutors. The Nationwide Bureau of Investigation (NBI) took them into custody after their return from Indonesia on August 22 following an immigration operation of each nations.
Each of them underwent inquest on Friday, August 23, which is a process carried out if individuals had been arrested with out a warrant. The bases of the costs had been immigration violation, violation of the passport legislation, and obstruction of justice, all of that are bailable offenses. Congress’ detention is a certain method to preserve them in custody.
“Walang warrant, walang kaso, ide-detain mo sa NBI, kung pagdating niya tinurn-over niyo sa Home, wala namang problema diyan eh, wala namang kuwestiyon na might energy ang Home. Bakit binigyan nila ang sarili nila ng problema,” mentioned Topacio.
(There’s no warrant, there’s no cost, however you detained them on the NBI? If instantly upon their return, they turned them over to the Home, there’s no downside there as a result of there’s no query that the Home has the ability. Why did they provide themselves an issue?)
What can Sheila Guo and Ong inform the Senate?
Whereas Sheila Guo shouldn’t be an proprietor or officer of any POGO, nor the actual property agency Baofu which Alice put as much as lease its land in Bamban, Tarlac to the Hongsheng/Zun Yuan POGO, she is co-owner of a minimum of 10 of the Guo household companies.
Ong, however, was the federal government consultant of the Porac POGO Fortunate South 99. She was additionally the one who employed former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque to lawyer for Whirlwind, the actual property agency that leased the land to Fortunate South.
Senator Risa Hontiveros expects the 2 may shed some mild on some lacking hyperlinks, significantly with Roque.
But when Topacio’s statements on Monday are any indication, it doesn’t appear that Ong goes to implicate officers of the previous administration of Rodrigo Duterte. Topacio confirmed on Monday a photograph circulating on the web displaying Ong in a bunch that features President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Girl Liza Araneta Marcos.
Topacio mentioned Ong has confirmed the photograph’s authenticity, and he or she “has some data relating to POGO operations and this image might maintain the clue as to why POGO operations, particularly unlawful POGO, multiplied through the time of President Marcos.” Marcos ordered a ban on all POGOs throughout his third State of the Nation Deal with final July.
The Senate inquiry will begin at 10 am on Tuesday, August 27. – Rappler.com
