PAOCC: Too early to tell if 'Mary Ann Maslog' can contribute to Alice Guo probe

An official of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on Wednesday said it is too early to tell if Jessica Francisco — or "Mary Ann Maslog" as authorities address her — would be useful in the investigation into dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo or just a nuisance. 

“Baka mamaya meron talaga siya masasabi (maybe she really has something to say). But it will really depend on how good an investigator or an interviewer you are to ferret out the truth, if any,” PAOCC spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio said in an ambush interview at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

At this point, however, Casio said Maslog has yet to contribute any information to the investigation. 

“Ngayon nakakagulo pa lang siya sa kaniyang imbestigasyon (right now she’s only a nuisance to the investigation),” he said.

Casio was at the DOJ to attend a meeting of the PAOCC, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

On Tuesday, Maslog said she was tapped by the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group (PNP-IG) to talk with Guo for her surrender.

General Romeo Macapaz of the PNP-IG, however, said that it was Maslog who volunteered, saying she had a line to Guo's lawyer, Stephen David.

David confirmed that Maslog also approached him and claimed she was with the “top brass of the PNP.” 

The NBI on September 25 arrested Francisco, saying it established through fingerprints that she was Maslog, whose case was dismissed by the Sandiganbayan after the court was told of her death in 2019.

Francisco's camp, however, denied that she was Maslog. Asked during a Senate hearing if she was, Francisco invoked her right against self-incrimination.

Credibility

In a separate interview, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said that Francisco will "never be a credible witness" and cited the textbook scam where she was involved in.

"Mas sinungaling pa kay Alice Guo... Yung role niya, alam mo, pati ako naguguluhan. 'Yung role niya raw sa pagtulong niya sa pagbalik dito kay Alice Guo, that is quite incredible, unbelievable the most," Estrada said.

For Estrada, Francisco had no authority to mediate or negotiate for Guo's return to the Philippines.

"She is only a private citizen. She is not connected with any other government agency. And nobody authorized her to mediate or to negotiate the return of Alice Guo here in her country," he added.

Estrada also mentioned "unverified reports" that Francisco allegedly helped Guo escape the country.

Estrada likewise said that there is a need to investigate Francisco over Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's "A1 information" that she was instructed by a Malacañang official to tell Guo to implicate former President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Bong Go, Police Major General Romeo Caramat, Jr., and Dela Rosa himself.

"We have to look into this because that is also a serious allegation...  I do not have concrete evidence yet. I cannot say that Malacanang has something to do with this," Estrada said.

Reelection bid

Meanwhile, Casio said that officials were glad that Guo, also identified as Guo Hua Ping, put off her reelection bid, adding that it was one thing off their minds.

“Kami we are 101% sure that she is not a Filipino and no foreign national must be allowed to take part in our electoral process,” Casio said.

Last week, David said Guo will again run for mayor of Bamban. However, during Tuesday’s hearing, Guo said that she would rather concentrate on facing all the allegations raised against her first.

Guo is facing a qualified human trafficking case before a Pasig court as well as a graft case before a Valenzuela court.

A quo warranto petition was also filed against Guo with a Manila court, as well as a petition to cancel her birth certificate before a Tarlac court.

She is also facing a tax evasion complaint, 87 counts for money laundering, and a perjury and falsification complaint before the DOJ.

—with reports from Hana Bordey/ KBK/ VAL, GMA Integrated News