MANILA — The House of Representatives’ quad committee will invite dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo to testify in its investigation into the illegal activities associated with Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs). Guo, recently apprehended in Jakarta, Indonesia, is believed to have significant involvement in these illicit operations.
According to Philippines News Agency, chairperson of the quad committee, coordination with the Senate is underway to ensure Guo’s participation in the probe. The inquiry, now in its fourth hearing, aims to unravel the depth of criminal activities linked to POGOs, including potential ties to powerful figures within the country. “If that is the case, then the invitation made in the previous committees prior to the creation of quad comm still stands. She has an invitation on this committee and we will coordinate with the Senate as to her availability in order to be able to attend our committee hearings on the issue of illegal POGOs,” Barbers explained during Wednesday’s session.
The investigation highlights concerns about the breadth of POGO-related crimes, which House Committee on Public Order and Safety chairperson Dan Fernandez suggests are backed by influential individuals, involving large-scale operations in drug trafficking and extrajudicial killings. “By now, there can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that powerful people are behind this large-scale, multi-billion-peso criminal enterprise involving drug trafficking, POGOs, and extra-judicial killings,” stated Fernandez in his opening remarks.
The committee’s aggressive approach reflects a broader concern about the corrosive impact of illegal gambling and associated crimes on Philippine society. Rep. Bienvenido ‘Benny’ Abante, chair of the Committee on Human Rights, emphasized the societal implications revealed in the hearings, urging a broader awareness of gambling’s detrimental effects.