Senator Ejercito calls for swift conclusion of enquiry into illegal offshore gaming operators in the Philippines
Joseph Ejercito urged the senate to quickly conclude the investigation to focus on identifying the international crime groups behind the operations.
The Philippines.- Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito has called for a swift conclusion to the Senate inquiry into illegal offshore gaming operators in order to focus on identifying the masterminds. In a press release, Ejercito said it was concerned that a delay could divert attention.
He stated: “Sometimes it seems like it’s becoming a talk show. I hope it would be wrapped up soon because it might deviate from our real goal of identifying the international crime syndicate, that we think is really behind this.”
Ejercito said any further investigations should be managed by the relevant agencies to ensure swift action. He expressed confidence in the leadership of senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros, who heads the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality. The panel has scheduled the next public hearing on offshore gaming operators for today.
Ejercito urged all stakeholders, particularly Alice Guo, the suspended mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, to provide the necessary information to conclude the investigation. A week ago, Guo revealed the name of a key figure linked to illegal offshore gaming operators during a closed-door session. Hontiveros did not make the name public but said the information provided by Guo corroborates a theory the committee has been working on.
“I believe Ms. Guo is a mere front and I hope she’ll come clean soon. I hope she feels sorry for the victims of POGO,” Ejercito concluded.
Philippine senators oppose Alice Guo’s plan to run in next year’s elections
A group of senators are opposing the possibility that Alice Guo could stand for election next year. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian issued a statement saying such a move would be “another brazen attempt to undermine the country’s laws.”
He said: “The Commission on Elections (Comelec) itself approved the recommendation of its Law Department to take action against Guo for violating the Omnibus Election Code through blatant misrepresentation. One of the key findings is the matching fingerprints between Alice Guo and Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping.
“Also, she falsely claimed to be a Filipino born in Tarlac, while official records show that she is a Chinese national, born in Fujian to her Chinese mother, Lin Wenyi.”
Senate president pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada noted that candidates must be Filipino and must provide accurate information about themselves. Estrada said: “This privilege stated in our Constitution is only for our fellow citizens and can never be given to fake Filipinos.”
Senator Joel Villanueva pointed out that while the Comelec is mandated to accept Guo’s certificate of candidacy (COC) as part of their ministerial duty, there is an ongoing material misrepresentation case against her from when she ran for mayor of Bamban in 2022, in addition to several cases filed by other agencies related to her true identity.
