Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (left) and Alice Guo. (Photos from Joseph B. Vidal, OSP/Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate Social Media Unit/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese national who helped dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo (real name: Guo Hua Ping) escape from Philippine jurisdiction is the boss of all bosses of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), according to Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Estrada told reporters that the Pogo boss has fled the Philippines and is now in Taiwan.
Asked to describe the Chinese national, Estrada said: “I heard that he is the [boss] of all the bosses of Pogos.”
During the Senate panel on women’s probe on Monday, Guo was forced to divulge the names of people who helped her escape Philippine jurisdiction despite an arrest warrant and look out bulletin.
Guo initially turned down these requests, but panel head Sen. Risa Hontiveros and other senators compelled her to write the name of the person who facilitated her escape.
READ: Alice Guo: No Filipino, only a foreigner, helped me flee Philippines
“If you remember, nasabi ni Alice Guo na ‘yun daw ang nag-facilitate ng kanyang pagtakas. Sinabihan daw niya ng hindi magagandang salita, so I asked her, kung sinabihan mo siya ng hindi magagandang salita, bakit siya nagpatakas sayo? Bakit siya nagpahiram ng yate sayo?” Estrada said.
(If you remember, Alice Guo said that the person who facilitated her escape received harsh words from her. So I asked her, if you utter harsh words to that person, why did the person help you escape and let you borrow the yacht?)
Estrada said his assumption is that the Pogo boss facilitated Guo’s escape out of fear that the dismissed mayor would name him.
During the press conference, Estrada was also pressed to disclose the name that Guo wrote on the piece of paper. He opted not to say it.
‘[I]bigay ko na lang kay Sen. Risa yung freedom para siya na ang maglabas ng pangalan kasi I’m not the chairman of the [committee],” he explained.
(I’ll just give to Sen. Risa the freedom to disclose the name because I’m not the chairman of the committee.)
READ: Alice Guo: No Filipino, only a foreigner, helped me flee Philippines