Suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo —Marianne Bermudez
MANILA, Philippines — Suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo cannot invoke her right against self-incrimination to avoid attending the Senate inquiry into her alleged involvement in the illegal activities of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), senators said on Tuesday.
According to Senate President Francis Escudero, Guo’s attendance at the resumption of the hearing on Wednesday was mandatory and not up to her or her lawyers to decide as Sen. Risa Hontiveros had already subpoenaed her and her family.
READ: Escudero willing to sign arrest warrant vs Alice Guo
“If a subpoena has been issued on a person, you are ‘under [the] compulsion of law.’ That means it’s not your decision whether to attend [the Senate hearing] or not,” Escudero told reporters in an interview.
“If a court, the Senate or the House issues a subpoena, the witness is obligated to comply with it. So it’s not their call if [Guo] will participate,” he said.
READ: Alice Guo absent from Tarlac farm for weeks now – Senate OSAA
Worsening condition
In a letter to Hontiveros on Tuesday, Guo formally informed the senator of her decision not to attend the hearing, citing her “worsening” physical condition and death threats against her.
“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.
“Not to mention, I have been constantly receiving death threats that I cannot simply ignore as I am afraid that these threats may endanger my life,” Guo added.
According to her, she tried to seek medical help, but “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.”
In a statement, Hontiveros agreed with Escudero that the right against self-incrimination cannot be used to avoid accountability as she called on Guo and her lawyers to just follow the law.
“Our jurisprudence is clear and consistent. The Supreme Court has recognized that the invocation of the right against self-incrimination can only be done when a question is being asked,” she said.
“It’s an old excuse to avoid investigation,” she said. “If [Guo] really wants to clear her name, she should appear at the hearing, answer the questions properly and stop telling lies,” she added.
According to Escudero, he will issue an arrest warrant against Guo should Hontiveros, the chair of the committee conducting the hearing, request one.