Mayor Alice Guo’s ex-accountant arrested, now under Senate custody

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine authorities, on Saturday, July 13, arrested Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo’s former accountant following the Senate’s arrest order against the mayor and her companions.

The Senate’s Office of the Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA) reported on Saturday that their team nabbed Nancy Gamo at around 1 pm. However, authorities were not able to find Guo in her Bamban address.

Authorities also failed to find and arrest Guo’s siblings: Wesley, Shiela, and Seimen, as well as Dennis Cunanan, a former government official convicted in pork barrel scam. Cunanan was also implicated in the illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) scheme.

Gamo will remain under the Senate custody and will be detained there. She could be held under custody as long as the Senate inquiry into illegal POGO continues.

On Saturday, the upper legislative chamber ordered Guo’s arrest, including seven of her companions, for “unduly refusing to appear, despite due notices,” in the ongoing Senate hearings into illegal POGOs. The order dated July 11, and was signed by Senate President Chiz Escudero and Senator Risa Hontiveros as the chair of the Senate women on children, family relations, and gender equality, was only made public on Saturday morning.

Aside from Guo, the Senate also ordered the arrest of Gamo, Cunanan, her siblings, and their alleged parents: Jian Zhong Guo and Wen Yi Lin.

For snubbing the hearing on July 10, the Senate panel led by Hontiveros cited Guo and her companions in contempt. This paved the way for their arrest because under rules, individuals may be arrested and detained if they were held in contempt by a legislative body like the Senate. A day before she was cited in contempt, the mayor has reached to the Supreme Court, asking the High Court to help her be spared from attending Senate hearings.

Guo has been the subject of Senate hearings for her alleged ties with an illegal POGO raided in her hometown. During the inquiries, her nationality and citizenship were also questioned because of inconsistencies about her personal life.

For her alleged ties with the illegal POGO raided because of complaints about alleged human trafficking, Guo faces a non-bailable offense of qualified trafficking. The Office of the Solicitor General has also moved to cancel her birth certificate, which could help in the possible quo warranto case against her. The quo warranto petition has the power to remove Guo from public office.

The Court of Appeals recently froze Guo’s assets after the appellate court had granted the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s petition. This means the mayor cannot use her money and other assets as long as the order stands. The court’s freeze order takes effect immediately and lasts for 20 days, unless extended by the court. – Rappler.com