LAMENT Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac, who has been suspended by the Ombudsman, laments that she has already been judged before she is given the opportunity to be heard. 鈥擬arianne Bermudez
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac, under fire over her alleged ties to an alleged illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) in her town and questions surrounding her citizenship, has been placed under a six-month preventive suspension without pay by the Office of the Ombudsman.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires signed a nine-page order dated May 31 suspending Guo as well as business permit and licensing officer Edwin Ocampo and municipal legal officer Adenn Sigua following the administrative complaint filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
READ: Alice Guo: 鈥業 am innocent鈥�
The complaint, filed by DILG Undersecretary Juan Victor Llamas on May 24, accused Guo and other local officials of Bamban of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
Llamas cited in his complaint the March 13 raid by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) of the Pogo compound of Zun Yuan Technology in Bamban.
READ: 3 senators cheer Alice Guo鈥檚 suspension
He said the task force found out that Guo bought eight parcels of land from Baofu Land Development Inc., which owns the property being used by Zun Yuan, and gave clearances to the company for its Pogo-related projects.
According to the DILG complaint, Guo issued a business permit to Zun Yuan despite it lacking some necessary documents, such as a fire safety inspection certificate and a provisional license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).
The task force also found that Guo admitted to owning at least 50 percent of the stock of Baofu, but claimed that she 鈥渄ivested such interest through a Deed of Assignment before she assumed office in 2022.鈥�
Human trafficking
The raid was carried out after a Vietnamese national, a Zun Yuan employee, escaped from the Baofu compound and sought assistance from authorities.
Zun Yuan has since been implicated in serious illegal detention and human trafficking.
According to the Ombudsman order, investigators found 鈥渟ufficient grounds鈥� to suspend Guo, Ocampo and Sigua, saying there was 鈥渟trong evidence showing their guilt鈥� and that their continued stay in office might prejudice the ongoing probe against them.
鈥淸T]hat there is a need to preserve the documents and evidence pertaining to this case which they may have control and custody,鈥� read the order, a copy of which was provided by the Office of the Ombudsman to reporters on Monday.
The DILG complaint had included Bamban Vice Mayor Leonardo Anunciacion and his predecessor, William Cura.
Dodging suspension by the Ombudsman, Anunciacion said he was ready to assume his duties as mayor following the suspension of Guo.
Aside from being familiar with executive functions because he served as mayor for three terms since 2001, the 70-year-old Anunciacion said he was healthy except for mild diabetes.
Saddened by accusations
In a statement on her official Facebook page on Monday, Guo said she was saddened by what she described as 鈥渇alse and hurtful allegations鈥� hurled at her.
鈥淚t seems like I was already judged before I had the opportunity to be heard. This is a violation of my rights as an individual and as an elected leader,鈥� she said.
The mayor had denied her alleged links to Pogo activities in her town.
Other than her alleged Pogo links, the mayor has been accused of being a Chinese agent due to questionable details about her personal background.
The PAOCC is also preparing to file tax evasion charges against Guo.
鈥淲e found she has committed many violations (of tax laws),鈥� PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio told reporters on Monday.
鈥淲e may also charge her with violation of the Securities Regulation Code, along with officials of Hong Sheng, Zun Yuan and Baofu,鈥� Casio added.
鈥楧辞肠耻尘别苍迟别诲鈥�
Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Monday hailed the decision of the Ombudsman to place Guo under preventive suspension for her supposed link to Pogo in her town.
鈥淎s it should be,鈥� Hontiveros said in a statement.
鈥淢ayor Guo also undoubtedly has ties with Pogo. No matter how many times she lies or claims to have forgotten some things, her connection with Pogos [is] documented,鈥� she pointed out.
Hontiveros said she had actually called for Guo鈥檚 suspension after she and Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian visited the sprawling Pogo complex in Bamban.
鈥淲e also received information that she tried to obstruct the ongoing investigation immediately after the Pogo was raided,鈥� she claimed.
鈥淭his should have already warranted a suspension. We only hope this is not too late,鈥� Hontiveros added.
Gatchalian, who had exposed Guo鈥檚 connection with Pogos, said the Ombudsman鈥檚 decision was 鈥渁 move in the right direction鈥� since it would allow authorities to conduct their investigation 鈥渇reely without fear of a cover-up while she is in office.鈥�
Sen. Joel Villanueva also lauded the Ombudsman鈥檚 action as he called on other state agencies to 鈥渟tep up their game.鈥�
鈥淭hings like this should not have happened. We have been calling for the banning of Pogos,鈥� Villanueva said in a press briefing. 鈥�with reports from Tonette T. Orejas, Maria Adelaida Calayag, Marlon Ramos, and Dona Pazzibugan