Sen. Risa Hontiveros asks questions during the resumption of her committee on women and children’s probe into illegal activities of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) on Tuesday, September 17, 2024. – An alleged co-incorporator of Alice Guo in a car trading company has been summoned by the Senate committee. Photo from Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate panel on women ordered the issuance of a subpoena against an alleged co-incorporator of Alice Guo (real name: Guo Hua Ping) at Westcars, a company involved in the trading of second-hand cars and car accessories.
As the Senate panel continued its probe into illegal activities of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) on Tuesday, Senator Risa Hontiveros asked about the status of her committee’s invitation to JP Samson.
The panel secretary replied that “there was a strict directive from Mr. Samson not to allow any letter or any sent to the security, actually. There was a strict direction from him not to accept any letter.”
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The panel secretary also said such a directive was sent via a text message and then recited an additional text message that reads: “Wala ako sa bahay, chief. Wala ring magrereceive doon.” (I am not at home, chief. No one will receive [it there.]”
“Ngayon lang ako nakaranas ng text message strict directive not to accept an invitation from the Senate,” Hontiveros said.
(It’s just now that I witnessed sending a text message of a strict directive not to accept an invitation from the Senate.)
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada then moved to issue a subpoena against Samson. This motion was seconded by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
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“There is a motion to subpoena JP Samson duly seconded and the chair instructs the commsec [committee secretary] to issue the subpoena,” Hontiveros, as chairperson of the Senate committee on women, responded.
In a previous Senate committee hearing, Zambales resort owner Raymond Ronquillo identified Samson as the person who called to say that Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban town in Tarlac province, and others will visit his Emon Pulo Beach Resort in March 2023.
The Emon Pulo Beach Resort was mentioned as a place where Guo was sighted on July 14, a day before the Senate ordered her arrest for repeatedly skipping the Senate probe.