Senate panel cites suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, several others in contempt
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00:00Stress or mental anguish excuses nobody from testifying in a congressional probe
00:04especially if the one concerned is the prime suspect or star witness in the
00:09inquiry. Hence suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo's absence today from the
00:13Senate probe, Ompogos has left the Senate panel and committee chair no option but
00:18to forcibly bring the bewildered and befuddled Bamban Mayor to the Senate
00:22premises to testify. As our Daniel Manalastas reports.
00:28A Senate panel cited in contempt suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo after
00:33she skipped today's hearing. Senators aren't buying her excuse of a
00:37debilitating mental health condition.
00:41For me, they are disregarding the subpoena.
00:44It's like disregarding and disrespecting our institution.
00:49I suggest that she be attended by a government by a government doctor so
00:55maybe we can find out the whole truth.
00:58And I think this letter of explanation is totally unacceptable.
01:03Therefore, I would like to move that we issue a warrant of arrest against Mayor Guo
01:09for her to attend the next hearing, if there is one.
01:14I so move, Madam Chair.
01:16For me, it's embarrassing for those who have a real mental health condition.
01:23I would just like to reiterate, Madam Chair, that mental health is a serious issue
01:28and this should not be used as a reason to lie.
01:32Aside from Guo, Senators also cited in contempt some Guo's family members
01:37and other personalities allegedly involved in POGO activities and or operations.
01:43While others were issued subpoenas by the committee.
01:47Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, revealed a document regarding Guo's alleged school records.
01:53He studied in the same school, Grace Christian High School, for grades 1, 2, and 3.
02:01Year 2000 to 2003.
02:06He did not go to Rubilin's home school.
02:09He really studied there.
02:11Meanwhile, during the hearing, the name of former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque surfaced.
02:17However, POGO denied former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque forced them.
02:41Secretary Harry Roque.
02:43He did not force them.
02:45He talked to them.
02:47And our conversations were very light.
02:50In my tracing, he called five times.
02:55Plus one follow-up.
02:57So, all of them,
02:59former Secretary Roque followed up on you six times.
03:05Only six, Madam.
03:06Hondeveros also brought up and pointed to alleged Roque's connection to LuckySouth99,
03:12which was a POGO hub that was raided.
03:15It is clear that Attorney Harry Roque is legally affiliated with LuckySouth99.
03:23Yes, Madam. I confirm that they forced him.
03:25Confirmed. Thank you.
03:26Because if it is true, it is true.
03:29This is clear from what he said in the media that it is just a whirlwind corporation.
03:35First of all, he went there and asked me for help.
03:38So, I assume it was a client-lawyer relationship.
03:42In the document they submitted, it stated that it was Harry Roque's legal group.
03:48At that time, it was not illegal because he had a license.
03:55Roque, meanwhile, denied allegations.
03:57I did not lobby for illegal POGO.
04:00Because of the time I went there, I did not apply for a license or a scheduling of payment
04:05under a company that was being serviced by the company I knew, Whirlwind.
04:12I was not LuckySouth's lawyer when it came to his licenses.
04:16And I never became LuckySouth's lawyer.
04:20And in light of the POGO controversy,
04:22Senators asked the POG Corps on what they intend to do moving forward.
04:26We will do everything we can.
04:29It is a waste of money for the POG Corps and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
04:38That is our position at the moment.
04:42But if the decision of the Senate, the Congress, and the President of the Philippines is to close it,
04:49we will not do anything against it.
04:54Aside from Roque, another name link to the former administration was floated.
04:59Michael Yang and Alan Lim are close to the previous administration.
05:05We don't have sufficient knowledge.
05:07And it seems that Gerald Cruz is also close to the previous president.
05:14I think, ma'am, during this time, this was already seen.
05:19We will connect the former farmally investigation to the current investigation against the POGO.
05:31It's not necessarily a new matter about the farmally scam.
05:35But it looks like a farmally group.
05:38Same cast of characters.
05:40Daniel Manalastas from the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.