Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian 鈥擲enate Public Relations and Information Bureau
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian bared on Monday that the baptismal certificates supposedly 鈥渋ssued鈥� by a Caloocan church to Alice Guo鈥榮 brothers鈥擶esley and Seimen鈥攁re fake.
Speaking before the chamber鈥檚 hearing, the senator said his staff personally went to a church called Parokya ng San Roque in Caloocan to investigate the matter.
鈥淲e went to that parish to ask for details and surprisingly, they certified. They issued a negative certification鈥攖hat there鈥檚 no such baptismal records in their parish,鈥� said Gatchalian.
READ: Arrest Alice Guo, others 鈥� Senate
鈥淪o in other words, these baptismal certificates issued in Caloocan are fake. In fact, our staff had to talk to the parish priest to be sure,鈥� he added.
Gatchalian said that his point is that fraud originates from various sources鈥攊t can be attachments and supporting documents that are all fake.
This then prompted him to urge Caloocan to allow the Philippine Statistics Authority to do their investigation to discover the whole truth behind the Guo family.
鈥淎t the end of the day, all we want to know is how to plug the gaps,鈥� said Gatchalian.
The Senate earlier issued an arrest order against Guo and seven others for refusing to appear, despite due notices, at the committee on women鈥檚 hearing on July 10.
Guo is subjected to scrutiny after the Senate panel on women bared her alleged ties to illegal Pogo firm Zun Yuan Technology Inc. in Bamban, Tarlac. Questions about her citizenship were also raised, leading to allegations that she is a Chinese spy鈥� which the suspended mayor vehemently denied.
Apart from the embattled local official, arrest orders against her family members Sheila Guo, Wesley Leal Guo, Jian Zhong Guo, Seimen Guo, and her suspected mother Wen Yi Lin were likewise released.