Sual, Pangasinan mayor skips Senate's probe on Guo's escape

The municipal mayor of Sual, Pangasinan on Thursday skipped the resumption of the Senate hearing into dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo’s departure from the Philippines.

In his letter to Senator Risa Hontiveros, Municipal Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay said he was unable to attend due to dengue fever.

Attached to the letter was a medical certificate issued by the Sual Primary Care Facility-Infirmary on September 4.

“This is to certify that Mr. Liseldo D.Q. Calugay, 53 years of age… was seen and examined on September 3, 2024 at 11 a.m. with the following findings: Dengue Fever,” the medical certificate read.

During the hearing, Shiela Guo, the purported sister of the former mayor, said that Alice Guo and Calugay were friends.

“Hindi ko po alam, ang alam ko kaibigan po (I don’t know, I think they are friends),” Shiela Guo said when asked what the relationship of the two was.

She said she was not sure if the two were business partners.

According to Shiela Guo, Alice Guo introduced her to Calugay at a Filipino restaurant. She said this may have happened before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.

“Sumama lang ako kay Alice (I accompanied Alice),” she said.

However, following her admission, Senator Joel Villanueva pointed out that Shiela Guo previously denied knowing any individuals involved in politics that could have helped Guo.

“Pero ngayon may binanggit kang mayor?” Villanueva said.

(Now you are naming a mayor?)

The Senate committee then held an executive session, which Hontiveros said resulted in a “clear link” to Calugay.  

“I wish to share that the executive session has surfaced a clear link to Mayor Calugay of Sual, Pangasinan," Hontiveros said.

"I really, really hope that the good mayor will make himself available when he is called. ‘Wag po sanang bigla kayong umalis sa bansa mayor,” she added.

Farm

Meanwhile, Hontiveros revealed a certificate from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) showing that Shiela Guo was the owner of the Alisel Aqua Farm in Sual, Pangasinan.

However, Shiela Guo denied knowing about it.

She did admit that they have a farm in Pangasinan but she did not know where it was located.  

“Baka ginagamit ‘yung pangalan ko na pang ano lang, pang business lang po, na hindi ko alam,” Shiela Guo said.

(Maybe my name was used for business, but I didn’t know.)

This led Villanueva to question Shiela Guo whether she had amnesia.

“Binanggit mo kanina doon sa Pangasinan, farm namin. Exact words mo, farm namin… pero wala ka masabi kung anong farm. Yung pinakita sayo ni Madam Chair sasabihin mo wala ka lang alam," said Villanueva.

(You mentioned earlier in Pangasinan, our farm. Your exact words were, "our farm"... but you didn't say what kind of farm. When Madam Chair showed you, you just said you didn't know.)

"Bakit? Kasi yun ang most convenient na pwede mong sabihin. Wala akong alam,” he added.

Why? Because that's the most convenient thing for you to say. I don't know anything.)

“Pero Shiela, [in] 2019 Madam Chair, natatandaan niya ‘yung Filipino food na kinain nila bago magkaroon ng pandemya. Natatandaan niya lahat. Eh, Shiela, may amnesia ka ba?”

(But Shiela, in 2019, Madam Chair, she remembered the Filipino food they ate before the pandemic. She recalled everything. Hey, Shiela, do you have amnesia?)

Guo and her siblings were revealed to have left the country in July.

TIMELINE: The escape of Alice Guo and her siblings

—VAL, GMA Integrated News