Senator Risa Hontiveros reminded law enforcers of the proper treatment of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo upon her arrival in the country.
"PAALALA lalo na sa mga kawani ng gobyerno: Si Alice Guo ay pugante. May kasong human trafficking. Hindi po yan celebrity," said Hontiveros in Facebook post on Thursday.
The Senator's statement followed social media posts where several government officials were seen happily posing for pictures with Guo.
The Secretary of the Interior & Local Government and the PNP Chief are having so much fun. Nevermind that Alice Guo escaping overseas is symbolic of their own failure.
— Kristoffer Pasion (@indiohistorian) September 5, 2024
What a mockery of the Filipino people. ✌🏼✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/1nA2R4EOlZ
In response, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos addressed the viral photo with Guo, explaining that the picture was taken for documentation, without any knowledge of Guo’s actions.
"For the purposes of documentation may isang taong kumuha ng picture at hindi ko alam kung ano yung akto niya, kung siya ay nagpapatawa, syempre hindi ka naman nakatingin sa tao, nakatingin ka doon sa kumukuha hindi ba?," Abalos said during an interview on Dos Por Dos.
Abalos and Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rommel Marbil went to Indonesia on Thursday to assist with Guo's turnover of custody from the Indonesian police.
Guo arrived in the Philippines at 1:30 AM on Friday aboard a chartered flight (RP-C6188) on a private plane that landed at a private hangar at NAIA.
On July 13, the Senate issued a warrant for Guo's arrest after she repeatedly failed to attend the Senate investigation into the raided POGO hub in Bamban.
She is currently facing 87 counts of money laundering and a human trafficking complaint related to the POGO hub raid.
Additionally, the Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 109 issued an arrest warrant for Guo in connection with a graft case.
