'Kaibigan lang': Sual mayor Calugay denies romantic relationship with Alice Guo

Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo "Dong" Calugay on Tuesday denied having a romantic relationship with former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo as senators presented photos of the two together.

"Kaibigan lang po (Just friends)," Calugay said at the continuation of the Senate probe into illegal POGOs when asked if he also characterizes his relationship with Guo as "friends."

Senators asked Calugay several times to confirm if they are only friends, and the Sual mayor answered in the affirmative.

Still, senators asked Calugay to explain pictures which showed him wearing Guo's campaign shirt, and aboard a float together while campaigning in 2022.

"Pakilarawan po gaano ka-close 'yung pagiging magkaibigan niyo (Please describe how close your friendship is)," Hontiveros said.

Calugay responded, "Magkaibigan lang po kamin, madam chair (We are just friends, madam chair)."

He added that Guo's campaign shirt was only handed to him, and that he was only invited by the dismissed mayor "to show her campaign parade."

As for the photo showing them on a float, Calugay said he invited Guo to join him in his victory caravan because the dismissed mayor asked him to join her own motorcade after winning the 2022 elections.

Insisting that they have no romantic relationship, Calugay said he was living with someone else.

"May kinakasama po ako, your honor (I'm living with someone, your honor)," Calugay said.

"Una na-annul, tapos ngayon may kinakasama (First, it was annulled, now I'm living with someone)," he added.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada then asked Calugay if Guo knows the person he was living with.

"Hindi ko po alam kung kilala po niya, your honor (I don't know if Ms. Guo knows her, your honor)," Caugay said.

Estrada then asked the dismissed mayor: "Alice, kilala mo yung kinakasama niya (Alice, do you know his partner)?"

"I refuse to answer po," she said.

Pressed further to answer the question, Guo said: "Ah Sen, hindi ko po kilala (Ah Sen, I don't know her).

In previous hearings, Guo insisted that she has no relationship with Calugay after Estrada showed photos of Guo and Calugay sitting beside each other, which the dismissed mayor later said were taken during a Kasalan sa Bayan in Sual town, wherein other politicians were also invited.

Love child?

Meanwhile, Hontiveros mentioned an information that Guo and Calugay might have a child.

Hontiveros raised this as senators asked Calugay's executive secretary Cheryl Ordoña-Medina on the supposed relationship of the two.

"In fact, may nakuha po kaming impormasyon na kayo mismo nagsabi sa kanila na girlfriend ni Mayor Calugay si Guo Hua Ping. Bukod pa diyan, kinuwinento niyo pa raw sa kanila na may anak silang dalawa," Hontiveros said, addressing Medina.

(In fact, we have received information that you told some people that Guo Gua Ping is the girlfriend of Mayor Calugay. Aside from that, you also shared that they have a child together.)

Medina denied this and maintained that Guo and Calugay have no romantic or business relationship. Guo and Calugay both denied the same despite photos and documents presented by the senators.

"Ay wala po, your honor. Wala po (None your honor. None)," Medina said.

Hontiveros reminded Medina that she was under oath and clarified that they were asking questions to establish the link between Calugay and Guo.

"You are under oath, Miss Cheryl. Ibig sabihin hindi lang kayo pina-fact-find dito. Marami pa pong nagsasalita at kino-corroborate namin," Hontiveros said.

(You are under oath, Miss Cheryl. That means, you are not the only one who is subject to our fact finding. There are other resource persons who are speaking up and we are corroborating their statements.)

"For the  record, Miss Cheryl, hindi kayo ang target namin. Gusto naming tukuyin kung kayo ay ginawang dummy ni Mayor Calugay pero madadawit po kayo kahit sa mga sa alam naming ginawa nila kung hindi kayo magsasabi ng totoo,” she added.

(For the record, Miss Cheryl, you are not our target. We want to find out if you are being used as a dummy by Mayor Calugay. You might be implicated in the information about them, which we already gathered if you will not tell us the truth.)

At the early part of the hearing, Medina admitted involvement in the processing of documents related to one of the five fish farms that are suspected to be business ventures of Guo and Calugay.

Hontiveros said Medina should have not processed the documents related to one of the fish farms because she is a government official.

Medina was also interrogated by the senators after it was revealed that Guo's secretary Cath Salazar called her to ask for assistance in finding a notary public who would process the former Bamban mayor's counter-affidavit on the human trafficking case filed before the Department of Justice.

Business ties

Senators on Tuesday also revealed several business establishments allegedly linked with Guo and Calugay.

Calugay however insisted that he has no previous or present business with Guo.

“Madam Chair, wala po kaming kahit na isang business partner po [we don't have any business together],” the Sual mayor said.

Panel chairperson Senator Risa Hontiveros then proceeded to reveal five farm business registrations, which she believed were named after Guo and Calugay: AC Aqua Farm, Dee Aqua Farm, Licsel Fish Farm, Donguo Fish Farm, Guco Aqua Farm.

All of these were allegedly located in Barangay Baquioen in Sual, and are owned by five different individuals.

“Hindi ba ang karamihan po rito sa fina-flash ko po ngayon ay pinagsama-samang mga pangalan niyo ni Guo Hua Ping o Alice Guo?” Hontiveros asked.

(Aren’t these businesses I’m flashing on screen named based on the combined names of you and Alice Guo?)

Estrada backed Hontiveros saying, “Madam chair, AC [Aqua Farm] I think stands for Alice and Calugay… ‘Yung Dee Aqua Farm—Dong. Licsel [Fish Farm]—Alice and Liseldo. Donguo [Fish Farm]—Dong and Guo… Guco [Aqua Farm], siguro (maybe it) stands for Guo and Calugay.”

The Sual mayor denied that he owns such firms.

Estrada alleged that the businesses may be used for money laundering.

“I surmise Madam Chair, na itong mga negosyong nitong sila mayor, nila Alice, I surmise that itong mga businesses na ito front lang ‘to for possible money laundering purposes,” the senator said.

(I surmise Madam Chair, that these businesses of Calugay and Alice are just fronts for possible money laundering purposes.)

Calugay also said that he does not run and is not familiar with the Alisel Consumer Goods Trading Hardware and Construction Supplies.

He also said a certain Veronica Soriano owns the Happy Penguin Resort in Sual.

The mayor admitted that he owned the land where the resort was built which he said he sold to Soriano in July 2024. The Senate panel will invite Soriano in the next hearing.

Estrada has tasked the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to check the P150-million withdrawal in a Dagupan bank in June this year.

He also warned that he might move to cite Calugay in contempt if he “keeps on lying” before the committee. 

His executive assistant Cheryl Medina, who is the named owner of Dee Aqua Farm, also denied ownership, saying the farm is non-operational. She said she only applied for the registration but did not proceed upon finding out that government employees are not allowed to engage in any business.

Medina admitted that she saw Guo in Sual several times, but said she has no idea of any business links nor romantic relationship between Guo and Calugay.

During the September 9 hearing, Estrada already asked Guo about an aquafarm named “Alisel Aqua Farm” allegedly owned by her and Calugay. The dismissed mayor said such a farm does not exist.

Guo further said there is a proposal to establish an aquafarm but she does not remember the name and if the plan pushed through.

She later said she was planning to build a farm in Sual town but it does not include Calugay.

Acting upon Hontiveros' request, a Valenzuela court allowed Guo to attend the continuation of the Senate probe into alleged criminal activities of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) on Sept. 17, Tuesday.

Guo was transported to the Senate from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City earlier in the day. —VDV/KG, GMA Integrated News