FINALLY, Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Lisendo Calugay made his long-awaited first appearance at a Senate hearing yesterday, as the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality continued its investigation into alleged illegal activities linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hubs in Pampanga and Tarlac.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who chairs the committee, pressed Calugay on his purported involvement with former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Leal Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping.

The senator questioned Calugay about the notarization of Guo’s documents, which reportedly took place after she had already fled the country.

Calugay denied any wrongdoing and explained that his absence from previous hearings was due to illness.

He also refuted allegations of a romantic relationship with Guo, as well as claims that they had co-owned several businesses.

Hontiveros together with Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada raised concerns that the two had been involved in disposing of properties, including the Happy Penguin Resort, which was allegedly linked to both Calugay and Guo.

Documents related to the construction of the resort were presented at the hearing, though Calugay denied ownership.

Estrada mentioned that Veronica Soriano, the reported buyer of Happy Penguin Resort in July 2024, would be called to testify in the next session.

Hontiveros also highlighted the legislative progress made as a result of the investigation.

“Our hearings have allowed us to craft an amendment—accepted and passed into law—to the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) that allows seized assets to be used for victim protection even before the finality of the case,” she said.

The probe has exposed significant gaps in border control, visa issuance, law enforcement, and birth registration, leading various government agencies to launch their own investigations.

The Senate committee is also working on amendments to the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act to include “forced criminality” as part of the definition of human trafficking.

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian called for further investigation into the money trail connected to POGOs.

He raised alarms about billions of pesos entering the country undetected by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

Gatchalian warned that such unchecked inflows of funds could be used for illegal activities, including human trafficking, drug trade, and kidnapping.

“Our investigation is not yet over. We discovered that not millions, but billions of pesos have entered our country without proper reporting to AMLA,” Gatchalian said.

As the Senate probe intensifies, attention remains on the alleged role of Alice Guo in POGO-related abuses. Guo’s secretary, Cath Salazar, is also under investigation as her possible “doppelgänger,” reportedly used as a decoy to mislead authorities.