OSAA: Arrest orders vs. Alice Guo, others served but only accountant found

The Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) on Sunday said it has already served the arrest orders against suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and seven others.

However, only one — Nancy Jimenez Gamo — was found present at her last known address by OSAA personnel. Gamo, the accountant of Guo, has since been detained at the Senate under the custody of OSAA.

"Na serve sa lahat to their respective addresses, negative presence except Ms Nancy Gamo," OSAA said in a message sent to reporters.

Gamo underwent a medical checkup after she was brought to the Senate in Pasay City on Saturday, where she will stay pending the resumption of the Senate inquiry into the raided POGO hub in Bamban.

The Senate issued arrest orders against Guo and the seven other individuals for repeatedly failing to attend the upper chamber’s investigation into the raided POGO hub in her town.

Also ordered arrested are Dennis Lacson Cunanan, Gamo, and the mayor's alleged relatives Sheila Leal Guo, Wesley Leal Guo, Jian Zhong Guo, Seimen L. Guo, and Wenyi Lin.

The orders, issued on July 11, were issued by Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality chairperson Senator Risa Hontiveros and were approved by Senate President Francis Escudero.

Guo, who was also identified as Guo Hua Ping in the order, was ordered arrested and detained at the Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) “until such time that she will appear and testify in the Committee, or otherwise purges herself of that contempt.”

The arrest order was issued against Guo for “unduly refusing to appear, despite due notices, at the hearings of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on June 26, 2024 and July 10, 2024, and thereby delaying, impeding and obstructing the inquiry into the reported violation of human trafficking, serious illegal detention, and physical abuse and torture in the premises of an internet gaming licensee of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp and other related resolutions.”

The OSAA was given 24 hours to serve the arrest orders and detain the eight individuals at its office until they appear and testify before the Committee or otherwise purge themselves of the contempt.

Sought for comment, Guo’s lawyer Atty. Nicole Jamilla said that the Bamban mayor’s camp “has not received this Order but we already anticipated the issuance of this Order after [the] Mayor was held in contempt.”

“As we already filed a Petition before the Supreme Court, we are hoping that the Court will give due course to our Petition considering this supervening issuance of Order of Arrest,” she said.

Guo's other lawyer Atty. Stephen David said the mayor is "not really capable of attending Senate hearings at the moment" due to trauma.

"We are always aware of the consequences of her failure to attend the Senate hearings. However, considering her Physical and Mental Health condition and the trauma she had in so massive cyber bullying and humiliation, she is not really capable of attending Senate hearings at the moment. Hopefully, when her condition will improve, we will see her again during hearings," David said in a message sent to reporters.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality ordered the OSAA to serve its issued Subpoena Ad Testificandum to the following individuals:

• Jaimielyn S. Cruz
• Roderick Paul B. Pujante
• Juan Miguel Alpas
• Katherine Cassandra Li Ong
• Alberto Rodulfo "Ar" De La Serna
• Ronelyn B. Baterna
• Michael Bryce B. Mascarenas
• Stephanie B. Mascarenas
• Rodrigo A. Bande
• Jing Gu
• Xiang Tan
• Daniel Salcedo, Jr.
• Chona A. Alejandre
• Duanren Wu
• Marion Ryan O. Chua
• Julian M. Linsangan III
• Josefina Mascarenas
• Edwin C. Ang

The above mentioned individuals were ordered to appear at the Senate for a hearing on Monday, July 29, at 10 a.m.

The subpoenas were signed by Hontiveros and approved by Escudero. —KG, GMA Integrated News