FILE PHOTO: Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian Photo from the Senate Social Media Unit
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the Senate may issue an arrest warrant against Bamban Mayor Alice Guo if she fails to attend their hearing again on July 10.
Gatchalian said in a press conference Friday that the Senate will not condone Guo’s nonappearance in the Senate committee on women’s public inquiry into her alleged involvement in an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) firm in Tarlac.
“Hinahayaan na niya [na] ang abogado niya ang makipag usap at hinahayaan na niya na ang abogado niya ang humarap, ‘yan pwede niyang gawin iyan sa DOJ (DEpartment of Justice) at sa mga executive branch. Pero sa Senado hindi niya magagawa ‘yan dahil may subpoena na,” he stressed.
(She’s letting her lawyer talk and she’s letting her lawyer face the people, maybe that’s allowed in the DOJ and the executive branch. But we will not allow her to do that in the Senate because a subpoena was already issued.)
READ: Senate summons Guo to Pogo probe, cites lack of ‘good reason to be absent’
According to Gatchalian, the controversial Tarlac town chief must attend the Senate’s proceedings because senators intend to ask her directly about her alleged involvement in illicit activities related to Pogos.
But what could happen if Guo skips the Senate panel hearing again?
“Maco-contempt na siya at that point at pwedeng mag-issue ng warrant of arrest para dalhin siya sa Senado. May kapangyarihan ang Senate mag issue ng warrant of arrest para madala siya sa Senado at humarap siya sa mga senador,” said Gatchalian.
(She will be cited in contempt and at that point, an arrest warrant may be issued in order to bring her to the Senate. The Senate has power to issue an arrest warrant in order for her to face the senators.)
Gatchalian likewise emphasized that health reasons are an overused tactic to not attend Senate public hearings. He even dismissed the “sick and stressed” reason given by Guo, through her lawyer, for not showing up in the June 26 inquiry of the Senate committee on women.
“Yan ang tipikal excuse ng mga guilty. May sakit, anxiety, hindi makahinga pero noong nagsisinungaling siya sa Senado wala siyang anxiety,” said Gatchalian.
(That’s the typical excuse of someone guilty. They’ll say they are sick, have anxiety, or can’t breathe but when she was lying in the Senate she did not have anxiety.)
READ: I am not a spy – Bamban Mayor Alice Guo
The senator scored how Guo brazenly claimed that she grew up in a farm, was homeschooled by her teacher Rubilyn, or does not know her siblings and was the lovechild of her father and his maid.
“So hindi ako naniniwala na at this point nagkaka anxiety siya dahil sanay siyang magsinungaling eh. At balewala sa kanya magsinungaling – nakokonsensya niya, so hindi ako naniniwala na nagkaka anxiety siya at this point,” said Gatchalian.
(So I don’t believe that she has anxiety at this point because she’s used to telling lies. It’s no big deal for her to tell a lie, she’s used to it, so I don’t believe that she has anxiety at this point.)