The Commission on Elections is set to file criminal cases against suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo after the poll body found sufficient evidence for alleged misrepresentation in her certificate of candidacy.
According to the Comelec panel investigating the embattled mayor, the fingerprints of Guo and Chinese national “Guo Hua Ping” matched.
The poll body’s chairman, George Garcia, said the Comelec en banc could issue a resolution concerning the case this week.
“[The Comelec] finds sufficient factual basis to proceed with the preliminary investigation and thus respectfully recommends that this department be directed to file a motu proprio complaint and conduct a preliminary investigation against Mayor Alice Guo/Guo Hua Ping for material misrepresentation in violation of Section 74 in relation to Section 262 of the Omnibus Election Code,” Garcia said.
As this developed, a joint inquiry by the House Committees on Public Order and Safety, and on Games and Amusements has revealed a complex network of Chinese nationals involved with illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and drug trafficking.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez presented a detailed matrix linking several Chinese nationals, including businessman and former presidential adviser Michael Yang, to both alleged illegal POGO activities and drug operations.
Yang, who once served as an adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte, is the subject of an arrest and detention order from the House for refusing to appear and shed light on his alleged involvement in a P3.6-billion drug bust in Mexico, Pampanga last year.
“It’s not only the criminal activities of POGOs and the corporations established by Chinese nationals, but also drugs are involved,” the lawmaker said.
Fernandez’s panel and the Committee on Games and Amusements, chaired by Cavite Rep. Antonio Ferrer, have been investigating the proliferation of criminal activities associated with illegal POGOs.
He began his presentation by referencing the extensive investigation initiated last year by the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, chaired by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.
The investigation, launched through House Resolution (HR) 1346, focused on the P3.6 billion worth of shabu seized in the municipality of Mexico.
This initial probe led to further inquiries by the Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, into properties acquired with the alleged connivance of local government units, implicating former Mexico Mayor Teddy Tumang and Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr. of San Simon, Pampanga.
These investigations revealed that numerous hectares of land were being bought by corporations owned by Chinese nationals.
Key figures in the matrix included Aedy Yang, an incorporator of Empire 999 Realty Inc., which purportedly owns the warehouse where the P3.6 billion worth of shabu was seized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
According to Fernandez, Aedy—along with Empire 999 co-incorporators Willie Ong and Jack Yang—had their passports revoked.
The matrix further detailed that Aedy is also an incorporator of Golden Sun 999 Realty & Development Corp., alongside Rose Nono Lin, married to Alan Lim.
They are also linked to Full Win Group of Companies, chaired by Yang, who figured prominently as the financier of the firm Pharmally.
Pharmally was involved in a scandal involving allegedly overpriced COVID-19 medical supplies sold to the government during Duterte’s term.
Fernandez also drew attention to the findings of the Anti-Money Laundering Council that Guo, who had 36 accounts, was involved in bank transactions amounting to P29 billion.
He said it was established that Hong Jiang Yang, Michael Yang’s brother, had transactions with Guo totaling P3.3 billion.
The origin and destination of these funds remain unclear, he said.
“[The] instruction [to us] is to ferret out the truth and find out this linkage of the involvement of drugs,” Fernandez said.
At the Upper Chamber, Senator Risa Hontiveros said she is baffled that of all the residences in the country, the IT manager of Lucky South 99 was found in a house in Tuba, Benquet owned by a firm where former Duterte administration presidential spokesperson Harry Roque had shares on.
The senator noted that the suspect, who claimed to be Cambodian but turned out to be a Chinese national, was a high-profile fugitive
“This Sun Liming is a high-profile fugitive [with a] Red Notice from the Interpol,” said Hontiveros.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Comelec to file complaint vs Guo after her fingerprints match Chinese national”
