Bato says someone from Palace wants to implicate Duterte, allies in Pogo

Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa —Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — Someone from the Palace wants to implicate former President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies to the proliferation of illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) in the country, at least according to Sen. Bato dela Rosa.

Former top cop turned lawmaker dela Rosa made the exposè at the Senate panel on women’s 15th hearing on Alice Guo’s Pogo ties.

At the end of Dela Rosa’s accusation was Mary Ann Maslog, who introduced herself to the committee as a certain Jessica Francisco.

“Klaruhin ko na lang sayo. For the record, meron akong impormasyon na you are being used para papirmahin si Alice Guo ng affidavit na magtuturo na si President Duterte, si Sen. Bong Go, si Sen. Bato, at si General Romeo Caramat ay nasa likod ng Pogo,” said dela Rosa.

(For the record, I have information that you are being used in order to for e Alice Guo to sign an affidavit that would implicate former President Duterte, Sen. Go, Sen. Bato, and General Caramat behind Pogos.)

“Merong tao from Malacañang na nag uutos sa iyo. Meron akong information, I can pin you down. Huwag kang pailing iling dyan — alam ko ang impormasyon na yan,” he added.

(There’s someone from Malacañang ordering you. I have information, I can pin you down. Stop shaking your head, I know that information.)

Dela Rosa then proceeded to ask whether this information is true to which Maslog answered no.

At this point, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada butted in, asking what Maslog’s purpose was when she visited Guo in her detention cell when the latter was brought back to the Philippines.

“Galing ako dyan eh, mahirap makapasok dyan at sino ka para makapasok doon? Ang makakapasok lang doon abogado, pari, kamag anak, doktor, o opisyal. Ikaw? Ano relasyon mo sa kanya?” asked Estrada.

(I was once there and I know it’s hard to enter. Who are you to visit Guo? Only a lawyer, doctor, priest, or an official. But you? What’s your relationship with her?)

Maslog opted not to answer. She, however, denied Dela Rosa’s allegation.

Maslog escaped conviction for graft in the 1998 textbook scam case by faking her own death.

During the probe, she also bared that she was tapped by Gen. Romeo Macapaz, officer in charge of the Philippine National Police’s Intelligence Group, to help convince Guo to surrender to the police.

According to her, she was tapped by the intelligence group because she has an “access” to the dismissed Bamban mayor’s legal counsel Atty. Stephen David and she is also a friend of Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay, Guo’s alleged romantic partner.

Macapaz, for his part, admitted to accompanying Maslog when the latter visited Guo in her cell.

“The reason why sumama ako, nag facilitate ako during their visit, is actually, Sir, ang sabi ni [Maslog ay] may irereveal si Alice na impormasyon vital sa kampanya natin. May mga involved pa na mga tao sabi niya,” said Macapaz.

(The reason why I accompanied and facilitated her visit is because Maslog told me that Alice will reveal information vital in our campaign. She said there are many more people involved.)

Estrada then asked Macapaz if they were successful in extracting information from Guo, but the latter answered on the negative side.

Later in the hearing, the senators’ attention once again shifted to Maslog, pressing her to disclose the names of the personalities involved in Pogos.

“There was a communication of a person named ALG na kumakausap po sa akin sa messages and also talk[s] to the good general. So yun pong message po na ‘yun involved a lot of people,” said Maslog.

“That communication from ALG was telling the general mga pangalan po ng mga tao,” she added.

Hontiveros asked whether ALG stands for Alice Leal Guo, to which Maslog answered yes. Maslog was also pressed to disclose the names allegedly divulged by the dismissed Bamban mayor, but Maslog opted not to answer.

“The reason is because I am not sure if it is true,” she said.

Later on, she was forced to write in a piece of paper the names of people allegedly involved, but according to Hontiveros Maslog only wrote a single name: Faeldon.