Chiz Escudero hit PNP for failure to arrest Alice Guo

For Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero, it is a shame that the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the law enforcement agencies have yet to arrest suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.

"Oo, nakakahiya, kahiya-hiya para sa PNP na hindi magawa ito, lalo na na nandito pa naman daw sila sa bansa ayon sa Bureau of Immigration," Escudero said when asked in an ambush interview.

(It is a shame, an embarrassment for the PNP that it is yet to arrest Guo who, according to the Bureau of Immigration, is still still in the country.)

Escudero emphasized that it is not only the arrest order for Guo which have yet to be served, but also other accused of crimes.

"‘Di ba maraming akusado na mas malala pa nga ang krimen, mas malalaki pa ‘yung mga kaso na hindi nila nahuhuli," he noted.

(There are other accused who are facing more severe accusation, bigger cases who are yet to be arrested.)

But despite this, Escudero said the budgets of the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation should not be reduced.

"E di lalo nilang hindi makikita ‘yung iba. Again, hindi naman ito carrot and stick [na] paparusahan mo kapag may mali, kapag hindi naubos ang budget. Kailangan tingnan natin lahat ng circumstances sa paligid noon," he said.

(I think it would only worsen the situation. Again, this is not a carrot and stick situation that they should be punished for doing something wrong. We should  take into consideration all the circumstances.)

GMA News Online reached out to PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo for comment but has yet to receive a reply as of posting time.

At a Senate hearing on Monday, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada threatened the NBI and the PNP of budget cuts should they fail to arrest Guo within a month.

Estrada pointed out that the NBI and PNP were allocated with resources to serve arrest orders, including that for Guo.

It has been two weeks since the Senate released the arrest order for Guo and her relatives.

So far, only Guo's accountant, Nancy Gamo, and the authorized representative of POGO firms in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga, Dennis Cunanan, showed up at the Senate investigation.

The contempt orders against Gamo and Cunanan were already lifted by the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality.

The Senate is investigating Guo's supposed involvement in the illegal POGO hub that was raided in her own town.—AOL, GMA Integrated News