MANILA – Suspended Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo denied she was dictating at the senators on what to do after saying that the Senate were seemed fixated at investigating her.
In a letter sent to the office of Senate President Francis Escudero, Guo apologized if her previous statement was taken out of context by the senators.
“Wala po akong intensyon na pagsabihan o diktahan ang Senado kung ano ang mga dapat bigyang prayoridad. Nauunawaan ko po na ang bawat mambabatas ay may sariling tungkulin at responsibilidad sa bayan. Ang aking layunin lamang po ay magbigay ng suhestiyon base sa mga problemang nararanasan ng aking mga kababayan sa Bamban,” Guo said.
She added: “Bilang isang tao na patuloy na humahanap ng hustisya, umaasa po akong mabibigyan ng pagkakataon na maipagtanggol ang aking sarili sa tamang forum. Batid ko pong bilang isang abogado, nauunawaan ninyo ang kahalagahan ng ‘presumption of innocence’ at ang pangangailangan irespeto ang karapatan ng bawat indibidwal habang umuusad ang imbestigasyon.”
Escudero, in a press conference on Tuesday, said he gets the understanding what Guo is requesting for, but stressed the need for her to surface.
“Hangga’t hindi siya nagpapakita at sumusunod sa Senado ay hindi ko matatanggap anumang pakiusap ang hinihiling niya dun sa kanyang liham,” Escudero said.
Guo, in a statement, said senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Risa Hontiveros must turn their focus on issues such as food shortage and lack of healthcare instead of ganging up on her.
“If they have evidence against me, I am ready to face them in a fair trial and at a proper forum. Respectfully, I do not wish to be used by anyone to boost their political ambitions,” Guo said.
“I appeal to them to focus their attention on these problems instead of continuously threatening me with arrest and accusing me of being complicit in various POGO-related crimes, which are untrue and unfounded,” she added.
Guo, who is currently suspended from her post, has been the subject of a Senate inquiry in connection with alleged illegal activities in the raided POGO in Bamban.
Recently, the Senate committee chaired by Hontiveros has ordered the issuance of an arrest order against Guo for failing to show up in the probe of the raided POGO hub in Bamban.
Guo, however, said that she was unable to attend the past hearings due to the “severe exhaustion and trauma” she had experienced in the earlier hearings and the cases filed against her./PN
