Gatchalian on Mayor Alice Guo's alleged links to Chinese syndicates: Kinilabutan ako

Strong pieces of evidence that support Mayor Alice Guo's alleged ties with the Chinese criminal syndicate that operated the raided POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac were divulged during the executive session in the Senate on Wednesday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.

And, these gave him the creeps, the senator added.

"Without going into the details, pero lumalabas na merong kongkretong ebidensya na may link siya sa mga criminal syndicates na nag organize nitong POGO sa Bamban. So, meron siyang link dito sa mga organized crime," Gatchalian said during the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday.

"In fact, meron ding mga information na siya mismo gumagalaw para magkaroon ng connection sa iba’t-ibang ahensya.... Siya mismo ay may active participation na mabuo 'yung kanyang connection sa iba’t-ibang ahensya," he added.

For him, Guo's role in the processing of the Letter of No Objection, her name on the application of Hongsheng Technology Inc. and on the building permit Baofu Land Development Inc., as well as her application for the internet connection inside the complex already prove her involvement in the establishing of the POGO hub in Bamban.

"Kaya lahat ng dokumento itinuturo na meron siyang active participation para mabuo itong POGO...So hindi natin matatanggal yung ebidensyang yun," he stressed.

"Si Mayor Alice Guo is the one who opened the doors for these criminal syndicates to come in. Naging enabler siya. Sa laki ng Pilipinas, bakit sa Bamban and the only common link between the criminal syndicates at Bamban is Alice Guo. Nasa gitna siya e. Siya 'yung naging tulay between this criminal syndicates and Bamban," he noted.

He likewise expressed concern over the report divulged by intelligence agencies during the executive session in the Senate that the Chinese criminal syndicates behind the POGO operations in Bamban are already working with local criminals, law enforcers, and even local politicians and businessmen.

"After nung first part [of the executive session with the intelligence agencies], kinilabutan ako eh dahil nga na-confirm ng ating mga intelligence agencies 'yung kinakatakutan natin na lumalalim na itong ugat ng POGO," Gatchalian said.

"Malalim, ibig sabihin 'yung kanilang impluwensya umaabot na sa mga pulitiko, umaabot na sa mga enforcement agencies tulad ng kapulisan, Bureau of Immigration, at pangatlo, meron silang binanggit doon na pati 'yung mga local na criminal syndicates ay nakakasama na nila," he disclosed.

For Gatchalian, who has been calling for the total ban of POGO in the Philippines, this is worrisome because the money from foreign criminal groups is already being used to fund local syndicates.

"Nagkakaroon na ngayon ng interaction itong dalawa. Nakakatakot 'to dahil 'yung pera ng mga foreign criminal syndicates pumupunta na dito, pinopondohan nila 'yung local criminal syndicates kaya nagsasanib pwersa na itong mga masasamang elemento," he said.

Gatchalian, citing information from intelligence agencies, said some local politicians are "part of the web" that operated the POGO hub in Bamban. Their participation in the said POGO operations, however, was not elaborated.

"Doon sa mga pinakitang pangalan marami...May mga pangalan kasi dun at merong web na pinakita at may mga politicians…enforcers, criminal syndicates, even businessmen," he said.

The lawmaker also warned against the lifting of the preventive suspension against Guo as this might affect the ongoing investigation of the law enforcement agencies.

"Delikado iyan. Delikado na ma-lift iyong preventive suspension dahil gusto natin pati iyong mga nagtatabaho sa municipal hall ng Bamban magsalita. Siyempre kung mayor ka, matatakot iyong mga nagta-trabaho doon na magsalita," Gatchalian explained.

"Kapag nandiyan siya, obviously, pwede niyang impluwensyahan iyan kaya importante na patuloy ang kanilang preventive suspension habang nag-iimbestiga ang mga enforcement agencies, ang Senate, kasama na ang ibang ahensya," he added.

Earlier today, Guo's camp filed a motion with the Office of the Ombudsman to appeal her suspension, saying the complaints filed against her over her alleged links to the criminal activities of a POGO hub in her town are baseless.

But Gatchalian expressed confidence that Guo's motion will not be granted, noting that the Ombudsman's order as well as the petition by the Department of the Interior and Local Government are "strong."

The senator, who earlier called on Guo to take a DNA test with Wen Yi Lin to prove her nationality, also lamented that this might no longer be possible as Immigration records showed that the Chinese national who was suspected to be the mayor's biological mother had already flown to China last May 20.

With the questions on Guo's real identity, Gatchalian said he plans to file a resolution that seeks to investigate the proliferation of fake birth certificates in the Philippines.

The resolution that he is about to file will include the case of the mayor's father, Angelito Guo, whom the senator believed to have lied in the birth registration of Mayor Guo and her three other siblings.

"Masyadong garapalan e. Hindi lang isang beses finake ang birth certificate [kundi] apat na beses... binaboy niya ang late registration ng ating bansa. Dahil dito, nagkaroon tayo ng ganitong issue," he said.—LDF, GMA Integrated News