Senate head for OSG probe of Mayor Guo
SAYING that the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) may now take charge of the situation and question the qualifications to hold public office of Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac, Senate President Francis Chiz Escudero said a quo warranto may be necessary in order to resolve this issue once and for all.
“Sa ganang akin, nasa kamay na ito ng OSG sapagkat pwede na nila itong kwestiyunin sa paggamit ng Quo Warranto kay Mayor Guo,” Escudero said in a press conference yesterday.
Escudero said by analogy, he who alleges must prove the same, “which means, kailangan patunayan natin ‘yan at masusing imbestigahan at ito ay nasa kamay lamang ng OSG natin.”
Escudero defended the Commission on Elections in saying that their role is only ministerial and cannot suspend Guo in her present position as elected mayor of Bamban, Tarlac.
“Comelec is correct in saying that their role is only ministerial. The Ombudsman can suspend after what was found during the raid in connection with the illegal operation like alleged human trafficking. While the OSG can file a Quo Warranto case against Mayor Guo,” Escudero said.
“Even those other suspects. Dapat silang makulong. Mahina ang deportation. Huwag lang deportation dapat ang mangyari sa mga ito. And hindi citizenship lang ang gamitin sa mga ito. Dapat sampahan sila ng criminal na kaso. Madalas ang nakakasuhan ‘yung mga pahinante at bodegero. This time dapat makulong sila. And for Mayor Guo, the OSG must determine if it can file a quo warranto petition against her,” Escudero said.
At the same time, Escudero said if government is serious in eradicating gambling in the country, it should not focus only on POGO but all other forms of gambling like casinos, etc. which he said is worse because they cater directly to Filipinos unlike POGOs where their customers are foreign based. That will be fair to everyone. Government earn revenues from POGOs. With regards to accompanying criminalities that come with POGOs, these POGOs should be closed down and if all of them are doing something illegal then close them all down, but address the crime, he said as he cited PNP reports on casinos and the accompanying crimes that result from them.
“Kasi sa POGO ang tumataya hindi naman Pilipino. Kung talaga seryoso tayo laban sa gambling siguro dapat lahat na ng uri ng gambling isama natin,” Escudero said.
The reaction of Escudero was in connection with the questionable identity of Mayor Guo who is being investigated over her alleged involvement in an illegal POGO firm.
A quo warranto proceeding is a legal remedy to determine a person’s right to public office.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian filed the resolution to investigate the so-called illegal POGO and Guo’s alleged involvement with Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated and Hong Sheng Gaming Technology Incorporated was raided last March of this year.
The inconsistency of Guo, according to Gatchalian, is already sufficient to prove that something is not normal and that the Solicitor General must act on this accordingly.
