MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed it is prepared to safely transport former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo from Camp Crame to the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, where she is expected to testify in the ongoing investigation into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
According to Philippines News Agency, coordination with the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms was finalized on Friday after the Tarlac Regional Trial Court granted permission for Guo to attend the hearing. The PNP security convoy is scheduled to leave Camp Crame at 8 a.m. Guo will be wearing a bulletproof vest and handcuffed during the transportation, though the Senate may remove the handcuffs during the hearing if approved.
Fajardo confirmed that Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officers will accompany the convoy. “Given the death threats she claims to have received, we are treating her safety seriously, like any individual facing threats to life,” Fajardo said in a radio interview.
Guo faces multiple charges, including human trafficking, money laundering, and graft. After testifying in the Senate, she left the country undetected in July and was later arrested in Indonesia on September 3. She reportedly traveled to Malaysia and Singapore before her arrest. Other individuals involved in the POGO scandal, such as Cassandra Ong and Shiela Guo, were also apprehended in Indonesia and deported in August.
Fajardo added that Guo is currently held in the detention cell formerly occupied by ex-senator Leila de Lima, which has enhanced security measures following an incident in 2022 where De Lima was briefly held hostage. The detention cell is isolated from other detainees, and PNP officers are stationed to monitor the area 24 hours a day.
Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. urged Guo and Ong to cooperate fully with the investigation. Gonzales pointed to recent drug-related incidents in Pampanga, such as the discovery of PHP3.6 billion worth of shabu in Mexico, Pampanga, as further evidence of the need for transparency in the investigation.