The senators rejected the idea of conducting an executive session, as requested by the lawyers of former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, in the Senate Committee investigating illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country.
“Karapatan ng publiko na malaman ang mga kawatan sa gobyerno na kasangkot niya at ang mga kasama niya para takasan ang isinasagawang imbestigasyon sa kanila," Senate Pro-tempore Jinggoy Estrada said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
“Allowing an executive session could undermine the principle of transparency ang public accountability in Senate investigations and could foster perceptions of secrecy," he added.
According to Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is the Chairperson of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, she sees no basis for claiming that Guo's information would be true, significant, and credible if an executive session were held.
For the Senator, if Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese national, did not answer even a simple question about her identity, there is no expectation of getting any meaningful information from her, even if the hearing were conducted behind closed doors. This situation has directly insulted the Senators.
The next committee hearing is set on September 17, Tuesday.
