‘Evasive’ Alice Guo faces a contempt order from the House

The House quad committee on Thursday held dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, in contempt, setting the stage for a potential custody battle with the Senate, which had issued an arrest order against her in July after imposing the same sanction.

During its sixth hearing on illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), Guo frustrated lawmakers by frequently invoking her right against self-incrimination, especially when asked about her alleged businesses, bank accounts, assets, and personal background.

This was Guo’s first appearance before the quad committee, which was investigating the connection between illegal drugs, POGOs, and extrajudicial killings. The House is particularly interested in Guo due to her links to its key witness, Cassandra Ong, a Whirlwind Corp. incorporator and girlfriend of Guo’s half brother, Wesley.

The tipping point came when Nueva Ecija Rep. Emerson Pascual questioned Guo on why she had not posted the P180,000 bail for two counts of graft in a Tarlac court—a case now transferred to Valenzuela City.

By not posting bail, Guo remained in the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP) rather than the Senate. The Senate had issued its first arrest warrant against her on July 10, citing her in contempt for repeatedly failing to attend its hearings.

“Your cases are bailable. Why haven’t you posted bail? ”Pascual asked.

“We’re waiting for the results of the other cases,” Guo responded.

Rep. Joseph Paduano of Abang Lingkod interrupted, accusing Guo of deliberately avoiding the Senate’s custody by staying in the PNP’s. “It’s just P180,000, and you didn’t post bail? You prefer the PNP over the Senate,” he said. “You’re lying. You have billions, yet you can’t post P180,000? You’re deceiving the country.” According to a report by the Inquirer.

Paduano, who has led most of the House’s contempt citations in the 19th Congress, then moved to cite Guo in contempt. He suggested that she be detained in either the Mandaluyong City women’s correctional center or the House facility, proposing that the jurisdictional issue with the court or Senate could be settled later.

Earlier, Guo attempted to persuade the panel to hold an executive session, promising to disclose how she left the country in July. However, quad committee chair Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers was reluctant to agree unless Guo was willing to reveal more, including who was behind the illegal POGOs.

One point of contention during the hearing was acting Bamban Mayor Leonardo Anunciacion’s claim that Guo had personally asked the municipal council to pass a resolution endorsing the POGO hub Zun Yuan Technology Inc.’s operating license in their town in 2023.

Read related article: Alice Guo was accused with trafficking in court