Alice Guo leaves PNP custodial center to appear at Tarlac court

Dismissed Mayor Alice Guo or Guo Hua Ping, speaks to the members of the media in a press conference at Royal Star Aviation Hangar, Pasay City on Friday, September 6, 2024. PHOTO: Arnel Tacson, INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, left the custodial facility of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Friday morning for Tarlac City where she is required to appear before the Regional Trial Court (RTC).

PNP Spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in chance interview: “Around 9:40 po ay umalis po sa custodial facility si dating mayor Alice Guo and she is being escorted po ng mga myembro ng HSS [Headquarters Support Service] para dalhin po siya at ipresent sa RTC Tarlac.”

(Ex-mayor Alice Guo left the custodial facility around 9:40 [a.m.] and she is being escorted by the members of the HSS to bring and present her to the RTC Tarlac.)

On Thursday, Capas RTC Branch 109 issued a warrant of arrest against Guo for violating Section 3 (e) and (h) of the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Fajardo said the ousted mayor of Bamban town, also in Tarlac province, will appear before the court as a matter of procedure. Guo was brought back to the Philippines before dawn Friday following her arrest in Jakarta on Wednesday.

“As a matter of procedure po, dadalhin po siya kay Judge para ipakita po na siya ay naaresto at mag aantay po tayo ng desisyon ng korte kung maglalabas po ito ng commitment order para siya po ay i-commit sa ibang detention facility,” Fajardo explained.

(As a matter of procedure, she will be brought to the Judge to present that she has already been arrested and we will wait for the court decision if they will release a commitment order to detain her in another detention facility.)

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Fajardo also said that Guo would be returned to the PNP custodial facility in Camp Crame if the lower court did not issue any commitment order.

She further noted that the Senate must ask the court permission first before Guo appears at its panel hearings.

“‘Yong warrant of arrest na inissue ng RTC Capas po takes precedence over the arrest warrant issued by the Senate so kung magkakaroon po ng hearing ang Senado at nasa kustodiya po siya ng PNP at hindi pa po nakakapag-bail ay ibig sabihin po nun ay nasa hurisdiksyon pa rin po siya ng korte,” Fajardo explained

(The warrant of arrest issued by the RTC Capas takes precedence over the arrest warrant issued by the Senate so if the Senate will conduct a hearing and Guo is still within the custody of PNP and she has not posted bail yet, that means that she is still within the jurisdiction of the court.)

READ: Alice Guo seeks gov’t help against death threats

The PNP spokesperson nevertheless gave assurance that the Senate’s arrest order against Guo will not go to waste even if the ex-mayor posts bail because the chamber’s order will be served then and the Senate could already take her into their custody.

“Hindi naman po ‘yon mababalewala as soon as they opted to avail po ng bail ay ise-serve po ‘yun so the Senate could take her into custody. But since under [PNP] custody pa po siya, hindi pa po ma-serve’ yung arrest order,” she said.

(It will not go to waste as soon as they opt to avail bail, it will be served so the Senate can take her into custody. But since she is still under PNP custody, the arrest order can’t be served yet.)