President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said he did not know of any plot within Malacañang to link former President Rodrigo Duterte and two senators to Alice Guo and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO)-related crimes.
During a press briefing, Marcos was asked about Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa’s claim in a Senate hearing. Dela Rosa alleged that someone from Malacañang had approached Jennifer Francisco, also known as Mary Maslog, to implicate him, Duterte, and Senator Christopher "Bong" Go in the ongoing investigations involving Guo and POGO activities.
''No, I don't know anything... I don't know who this person is,'' Marcos responded.
Dela Rosa shared that he received information that linked Francisco to a plot involving Police Major General Romeo Caramat Jr. Francisco later admitted in a Senate inquiry that the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group (PNP-IG) had asked her to approach Guo for her possible surrender to authorities.
The case drew further controversy after it was revealed that Francisco had been involved in a P24-million textbook procurement scam in 1998 under the alias Mary Maslog.
Despite the scam being dismissed by the Sandiganbayan in 2019 after reports of her death, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Francisco on September 25, confirming her true identity through fingerprint analysis.
