Hontiveros: Chinese nat’l becoming mayor reveals lapses in PH systems

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the revelation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that Alice Guo’s fingerprints have matched those of Chinese national Guo Hua Ping only affirmed the various lapses in law and regulations of the country’s institutional systems.

READ: Comelec panel recommends misrepresentation case vs Guo 

In a statement on Friday, Hontiveros said she’s no longer surprised about the revelation, noting that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) already proved that Alice Guo and Guo Hua Ping are one.

“Gayunpaman, nakakakilabot pa rin na may Chinese national na naging alkalde ng isang bayan sa Pilipinas,” said Hontiveros.

(However, it is still shocking that a Chinese national became the mayor of a town in the Philippines.)

“This also affirms the various lapses in the laws and regulations of many institutional systems, from the Philippine Statistics Authority to the Comelec. Kaya patuloy ang aming hearing sa Senado para matugunan ang mga pagkukulang na ito,” she added.

(This also affirms the various lapses in the laws and regulations of many institutional systems, from the PSA to the Comelec. Thus, our hearing in the Senate continues to address these shortcomings.)

Concluding her remarks, the opposition senator called on Guo to finally appear before the Senate, pointing out that her life would not be normal if she continued to evade the upper chamber’s arrest order.

The Senate earlier issued an arrest order against Guo and seven others for refusing to appear at the committee on women’s hearing on July 10, despite due notices.

READ: Guo sighted in Bulacan; law enforcers urged to arrest mayor in a month

The document stated that Guo’s refusal to appear before the Senate “delayed, impeded, and obstructed” the inquiry into the reported violation of human trafficking, serious illegal detention, and physical abuse and torture in the premises of an internet gaming licensee of the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation.

Guo is subjected to scrutiny after the Senate panel on women bared her alleged ties to illegal Pogo firm Zun Yuan Technology Inc. in Bamban, Tarlac.

Questions about her citizenship were also raised, leading to allegations that she is a Chinese spy — which she vehemently denied.