MANILA, Philippines — Suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo is still in the Philippines, her legal counsel Stephen David said on Tuesday.
According to David, whether or not Guo could attend the Senate’s hearing on Wednesday was still uncertain, as she was “not okay.”
READ: Guo skipping senate hearing; Hontiveros warns of arrest
“Well, she is not okay right now,” David said in a message to reporters.
“Yes, nasa Pilipinas siya,” he added.
(Yes, she’s in the Philippines.)
David added that Guo was “physically and emotionally drained” and that the backlash she received on social media was the reason for her possible non-attendance.
“Fifty-fifty kung maka-attend,” he said.
(It’s a 50/50 chance that she will attend.)
“She is physically and emotionally drained sa dami ng cases na hinaharap at sa dami ng personal attack sa kanya sa social media, plus traumatized siya sa treatment sa kanya ng Senate,” he said.
(She is physically and emotionally drained due to the number of cases she is facing and the personal attacks against her on social media, plus she’s traumatized by the Senate’s treatment of her.)
Recently, the Senate issued a subpoena to Guo and her family, ordering them to attend a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
However, a letter from the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms dated July 4 said that the subpoenas were not served after a farm helper said that Guo had not visited their farm for several weeks.
READ: Alice Guo absent from Tarlac farm for weeks now – Senate OSAA
Senator Risa Hontiveros likewise warned Guo of possible consequences, including an arrest, if she refused to attend senate hearings.
Guo is the subject of a probe over her alleged involvement in an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator hub, to which she denied having any connections.