Suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ)
MANILA, Philippines — Receiving death threats is one of the reasons why suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo opted to skip the Senate’s July 10 hearing on the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos).
She was afraid that these threats could endanger her life, said the embattled mayor in a letter Guo sent to Senator Risa Hontiveros’ office.
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A part of her letter, which Hontiveros released to the media on Tuesday, reads: “I have been constantly receiving death threats that I cannot simply ignore as I am afraid that these threats may endanger my life. In this line, I humbly express my most sincere apologies for my absence and for any inconvenience this may have caused the Honorable Committee.”
Aside from this, Guo also mentioned her worsening mental health after facing scrutiny on her alleged ties to Zun Yuan Technology Inc., the raided Pogo in Bamban.
“As we know, during the last scheduled hearing on June 26, 2024, I failed to appear before the Honorable Committee, considering that I am not physically and mentally fit to do so. Unfortunately, since then, my condition has not improved and even worsened. Truth be told, I have already sought professional help, but the medical professionals that I have consulted refused to issue a medical certificate stating my condition for fear that they may also experience the humiliation and ridicule that I am going through,” she wrote.
“For a few months now, I have been the subject of malicious accusations, I have been ridiculed, my dignity has been debased, and my personal life and even my identity have been questioned and mocked,” she said.
“In addition, several suits were filed against me, to which I felt like I have already undergone a trial by publicity finding me guilty without due process. All these significant challenges had taken a toll on my mental and physical health, making me unfit to endure a rigorous situation such as a senate hearing,” Guo added.
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Before sending her letter, Guo’s legal counsel, Stephen David, confirmed that the mayor would skip the probe because she was “traumatized.”
But Hontiveros warned Guo that the upper chamber would issue an arrest order if the latter ignored the subpoena against her.
For his part, Senate President Francis Escudero said in a press briefing on Tuesday that he would be willing to sign the arrest warrant against Guo if Hontiveros would request it.
Guo is currently facing a qualified human trafficking case for her alleged connection to the labor trafficking of around 500 foreign Pogo workers.
This comes after the suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman against her due to complaints filed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The agency earlier revealed “troubling findings of serious illegal acts which may have severe legal implications” related to Guo and her alleged connection to the illegal activities in the Pogo in Bamban.