Dismissed Mayor Alice Guo confirmed the involvement of a "crucial personality" in the operations of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the Philippines during a closed-door session with the Senate on Tuesday, according to Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros.
In a statement, Hontiveros said, "I'm still not fully satisfied with the statements delivered during the Executive Session, although one key individual was confirmed by Guo Hua Ping," referring to Guo's Chinese name. She added that this confirmation aligns with a theory the Senate panel proposed a month ago.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, who did not attend the session, stated that Guo identified the same person she had previously named on a piece of paper during a public hearing. This person allegedly helped her escape the Philippines.
"There was no vital information disclosed by Alice Guo. She only mentioned the same name of the person she wrote on the paper before," Estrada said in an interview with Dobol B TV.
The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality conducted the executive session to allow Guo to provide sensitive information she had withheld during a public hearing. Guo, who is facing graft, trafficking, and money laundering charges, previously stated that she was not the "mastermind" behind the POGO operations in Bamban, Tarlac, and claimed she was "just a victim."
The executive session lasted only a few minutes and will continue next week. During the session, Guo indicated her willingness to name the "most guilty" individual involved in the illegal POGO activities.
In a related development, Hontiveros, who is leading the Senate investigation, mentioned plans to summon several Philippine National Police (PNP) officers, including a former national police chief, for their alleged connections to Chinese businessman Tony Yang. Yang is believed to be a significant figure in the POGO hub linked to Guo.
The former PNP chief in question is retired Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr., who has been photographed with Yang. Other officers identified include retired General Lawrence Coop, Colonel Lemuel Gonda, and Colonel Aaron Mandia, who were also shown in photos with Yang.
Alice Guo remains detained at the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory while the Senate investigation continues.
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