FRUSTRATED by her evasive responses and lack of cooperation, the House Quad Comm on Thursday night cited dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo in contempt and ordered her detention.
As of press time, the panel has yet to resolve Guo’s place of detention pending clearance from the agency taking custody of her.
Guo faces investigation for her alleged involvement in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and other criminal activities.
The joint panel, which is probing the rise of illegal POGO-related crimes, is still deliberating where Guo will be detained, given questions about jurisdiction over her custody.
Currently, Guo is under the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as she faces human trafficking charges in court, in addition to a contempt order issued by the Senate.
Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, overall chair of the Quad Committee, approved the motion of Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano to cite Guo in contempt, in accordance with Section 11, Paragraph C of the House Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation.
“There is a motion to cite Alice Guo, a.k.a. Guo Hua Ping, in contempt. Are there any objections? Hearing none, the motion is approved,” Barbers declared.
In a follow-up motion, Paduano also requested that Guo be detained until the committee’s investigation is completed and the report is adopted by the plenary, a motion which Barbers also approved.
During the hearing, Paduano, supporting the interpellation by Nueva Ecija 3rd District Rep. Emerson Pascual, expressed concern over Guo’s refusal to post bail, especially given the relatively modest amount of ₱180,000.
He suggested that Guo deliberately avoided posting bail because she preferred to remain at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
“Hindi ka nag-bail kasi mas gusto mong naka-detain doon sa PNP custodial facility kaya hindi ka nag-bail. Ayan ang totoong kwento doon. Huwag na tayo maglokohan dito,” Paduano said.
“Again, you’re lying. You’re fooling this country, you’re fooling the Filipino people,” he added.
Earlier in the hearing, the Quad Comm confirmed that Guo, a Chinese national, had exploited loopholes in Philippine legal and identification systems to establish businesses believed to be connected to illegal syndicates.
Guo, at the center of multiple criminal investigations, has sparked outrage due to her involvement in human trafficking and ties to illegal POGO operations.
She is accused of facilitating the entry of foreign workers, many of whom are suspected of being involved in illegal activities, including prostitution and fraud, under the guise of legal employment.
Authorities have long suspected that Guo has close ties to powerful syndicates operating within the country, and her businesses are believed to have been used as front for various illicit operations.
