It’s quite amusing, really, how suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo questions the Senate whether her situation merits such intense focus to hint at broader issues or a greater national attention. “Am I really the country’s biggest problem that they need to focus on? Or they just want to project me as the villain?” Guo said in her statement she issued via Facebook page.
Guo perceived it as disproportionate scrutiny. That’s a laugh. What’s funny even more is that her presence on social media acts like a shield – no guts to confront her controversies and the murky waters in between all the hindi-ko-po-alam hullabaloo.
But her alleged involvement with illegal Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) is no joke, especially amid a Senate probe.
It is a no laughing matter to highlight the critical need for lawmakers to address pressing national issues effectively while steadfastly upholding the principles of fairness, integrity, transparency, and the rule of law.
The allegations against Guo and her purported evasion tactics bring the need for a thorough, impartial investigation to uphold those who are responsible to preserve public confidence in our democratic institutions.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, who leads the series of hearings, has countered Guo’s claims noting her repeated absence from Senate hearings and inconsistencies in her statements. Hontiveros stresses the importance of accountability and adherence to due process in all matters of public interest.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also remarked on Guo for lying and having an unreasonable excuse blaming “stress” and “trauma.”
Among other revelations brought by the Guo saga, the system in itself must also be taken the same measure of focus. But scrutiny in this lengthy chain of events still continues. One may wonder who will have the last laugh and who will be left as the laughing stock.