“Don’t worry, we’re not fixated on you. We’re just allergic to liars.”
Senator Risa Hontiveros made this clear on Friday in response to suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo’s comments questioning why lawmakers seemed focused on her instead of pressing issues like food shortages and healthcare.
Hontiveros, leading the Senate investigation into the raided POGO hub in Guo’s town, criticized the embattled mayor for posting statements on Facebook rather than addressing the allegations in Senate hearings.
“Mayor Alice Guo or Guo Hua Ping, you post more on Facebook than attending the Senate hearing. So sadly for you, your constant posting on social media doesn’t match your Senate attendance,” Hontiveros remarked. “Attendance before the Senate hearings is adherence to the rule of law.”
Guo previously stated her belief in the “rule of law” while denying involvement in alleged death threats against Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, another active participant in the Senate investigation.
Hontiveros also criticized Guo’s claimed priorities of health and peace of mind. “How can you have peace of mind when you are always avoiding questions? In case you’ve forgotten, you’re being called because you are in the middle of abuses being committed by POGO to our laws, which you have allowed to spread due to your influence as a mayor.”
“You lied about your connection to POGO, you lied about your personality, and every time you log on to Facebook, you fabricate new ones,” Hontiveros added.
Guo, currently suspended from her post, is under Senate scrutiny for alleged illegal activities related to the raided POGO in Bamban. Senators have also questioned her identity due to inconsistencies regarding her nationality and personal life.
The Senate has ordered Guo’s arrest for failing to appear in the investigation of the raided POGO hub in Bamban.