THE SENATE Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on Monday cited dismissed mayor Alice Guo in contempt for being evasive in answering questions from the panel.
Deputy Minority Leader and panel chair Senator Risa Hontiveros made the motion after Guo insisted that she and Guo Hua Ping are not the same person.
The motion was seconded by Senator Joel Villanueva.
"The National Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that she is Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese national who entered here in 2003. That means she blatantly lied before us in the Senate. That means she faced the people of Bamban and blatantly lied,” Hontiveros said.
She said previous hearings have established that Guo filed a late registration of live birth and was issued one, which she used to obtain a Philippine passed.
“The Philippine Statistics Authority had already declared the certificate as irregular,” Hontiveros said.
Senators also slammed Guo for not revealing the name of individuals whom she said are threatening her life.
In July, the committee also cited Guo in contempt and issued a warrant for her arrest for repeatedly skipping the hearing on illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Police custody
Despite the contempt citation, Hontiveros said Guo will stay under the custody of the Philippine National Police unless she posts bail for her graft case.
Guo will be turned over to the Senate if she posts bail.
Meanwhile, a subpoena was issued by the panel to Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Dong Calugay, who notified the Senate that he will not be able attend the public hearing because he has dengue.
Calugay's name came out of the Senate discussions due to his alleged links with the Guo family.
On the other hand, suspected POGO incorporator Cassandra Li Ong did not attend the hearing because she was still confined in a hospital in Taguig City, according to the House of Committee on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights and Public Accounts in a letter to the Senate.
"Our latest update is that she may be discharged from confinement either tonight or Tuesday," the letter said. (Wilnard Bacelonia)
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