Traumatized' Alice Guo not keen on attending next Senate hearing —lawyer

Suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo is not keen on attending the continuation of the Senate investigation into the raided POGO hub in her town after being "traumatized" during the hearings, according to her legal counsel Stephen David.

This, despite the issuance of a subpoena against her and the warnings from Senators Risa Hontiveros and Sherwin Gatchalian that she might be cited in contempt and arrested if she will not appear in the Senate hearings.

"Nu'ng kausap ko siya, ang sabi niya mukhang hindi niya kaya dahil sa mga trauma na nararanasan niya. Mantakin mo naman sa dami ng mga binabatong alegasyon sa kanya tapos sinisigawan pa siya do'n. 'Yung stress level niya masyado nang mataas. Parang natu-trauma na siya kapag naririnig niya 'yung mga ganyang hearing e," David said in an interview over Dobol B TV Monday.

(When I talked with her, she said she thinks she cannot attend the hearing because of the trauma she experienced. A lot of accusations were hurled at her and she was being yelled at. Her stress level was so high that she feels traumatized whenever she hears about the probe.)

David added that it is up to the lawmakers if they will believe Guo's medical reasons.

According to Guo's lawyer, the embattled mayor has medical conditions and was given medications, but her doctors are afraid to issue a medical certificate because they might be called to testify before the Senate.

"Pinagtataka niya bakit galit na galit sa kanya ang mga netizen e samantalang wala naman siyang ninakaw, wala namang kinorap, wala namang pinatay na tao. Hindi niya maintindihan, samantalang mahal na mahal naman siya ng mga kababayan niya. Bakit ginaganyan siya? 'Yun ang hindi niya maintindihan," David shared.

(She is wondering why the netizens are so angry at her when she did not steal anything, she is not corrupt, she did not kill anybody. She cannot understand because she loves her constituents. Why is she being treated that way, that's what she cannot understand.)

In the same interview, David questioned the authenticity of the documents which were used to claim that Guo and Chinese national Guo Hua Ping are the same person.

The National Bureau of Investigation had already confirmed that the embattled mayor and the Chinese national's fingerprints  were "affixed by one and the same person."

"Ako rin nagtataka e papaano mo masasabi na after 30 years meron kang nakikitang dokumento. May archive ba ang gobyerno na ganyan? Ang alam ko ang record natin sa loob ng limang taon, sampung taon sinusunog na e," he said.

(I am wondering how can you say that you have a 30-year old document. Does the government has an archive? All I know is the records are destroyed after five, 10 years.)

For David, these documents should be presented before the courts where the documents can be cross examined.

"Wala pa nga silang iprinisentang ebidensya doon (courts)... 'Di naman lahat ng nilalabas mo ay totoo. Ang dami dami namang mga dokumento... Excited talaga ako kung paano natin iko-cross exam 'yang mga dokumento na yan," he said.

(They have yet to present any documents in the courts. Not everything that they make public is true. I am really excited how we will cross examine these documents.)

"Kung 'yan 'di totoo, eh 'di mananagot sila. Pero pag totoo eh 'di ang katotohanan ang lalabas. Ang gusto lang naman natin ang katotohanan ayaw lang natin maging injustice...na pagbibintangan mo 'yung tao na wala ka pang basehan... Ang lahat 'yan kailangan idulog natin sa husgado. Rule of law tayo," he added.

(If those are not true, they will be held accountable. But if those are true then the truth will come out. We want the truth to come out, what we don't want is injustice...that you will accuse someone without any basis. They should present it before a court. We are for rule of law.)

Reacting to David's remarks, Hontiveros said that Guo is not the only one who was traumatized, but also the human trafficking victims, which include foreigners and Filipinos who were forced to work inside the POGO scam compounds.

"Hindi lang siya ang traumatized...Pati ang sambayanang Pilipino traumatized na may Chinese national na naging mayor ng Pilipinas.," Hontiveros quipped.

(Mayor Guo is not the only one who was traumatized...Even the Filipino people are traumatized by the fact that a Chinese national was elected as a mayor in the Philippines.)

"Mental health is important but she cannot invoke it to escape accountability, lalo na na public servant siya (especially since she is a public servant). She dug her own grave. We merely asked basic questions that any upright human being could answer. Ngayong na wala na siyang lusot, nagpapa-victim siya (Now that she has been cornered, she is playing the victim card)," she added.

Hontiveros reiterated her warning that an arrest order will be issued if she will skip the next hearing which is set on Wednesday.

"Dumalo na lang siya sa hearing sa Miyerkules para wala nang drama.Mayor Alice Guo, the truth will give you peace of mind," she said.

(Mayor Guo should just attend the hearing on Wednesday and end this drama. Mayor Alice Guo, the truth will give you peace of mind.)

Guo is at the center of the Senate investigation into the raided POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac after several documents showed that she was personally involved in the processing of documents for its operations.

She is also suspected to be part of a criminal syndicate operated by Chinese nationals.

Guo's citizenship was also questioned due to her inconsistent testimonies about her background and the supposed dubious documents regarding her Filipino citizenship.—AOL/RSJ/RF, GMA Integrated News