Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros yesterday said more “victim survivors” have been invited to the October 23 hearing of the Committee on Women on the complaints of former members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) against pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

Hontiveros said the invited resource persons have recently come out with their allegations against the religious leader.

“Hindi ko pa masabi ang exact number pero over the past seven months na nag-suspend kami, may mga nag-reach out sa opisina ko dahil nasubaybayan nila ang mga pagdinig at nasubaybayan nila yung pagtestigo ng mga kapwa nilang victim survivors (I still cannot tell their exact number but there are people who have reached out to my office the past months because they have been watching the past hearings and they have seen the other victim survivors testify),” she said.

She said the committee will take a break from its hearings on crimes linked to the illegal operation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs and resume its inquiry on the issues related to Quiboloy.

“Matapos ng higit kalahating taong suspension, ma-re-resume na namin ang pagdinig kay Apollo Quiboloy sa Miyerkules, 23 nitong Oktubre. (After more than six months of suspension, we can resume the hearing on Apollo Quiboloy on Wednesday, October 23),” Hontiveros said in a press conference.

The Hontiveros panel had issued an arrest warrant against Quiboloy for his refusal to cooperate in the hearings.

The pastor surrendered to authorities last September 8 after police stormed the KOJC compound in Davao City in search of the religious leader.

The operation was in relation to the service of the arrest orders issued by the Pasig and Quezon city trial courts against Quiboloy and his co-accused in human trafficking and child abuse charges, respectively.

Quiboloy is now detained at the Pasig city jail.

JUSTICE TO VICTIMS

At the same time, Hontiveros said the guilty plea of Marissa Duenas, a human resource manager for the KOJC in Van Nuys in the United States, is a step closer in bringing justice to the victims of Quiboloy.

“It is a significant step towards securing accountability for Quiboloy’s disturbingly long list of crimes here and abroad — which includes sexual abuse of minors, qualified human trafficking, child abuse, and others…I also hope that Ms. Duenas — given her position in KOJC — would be open to participating in our continuing investigation on the various allegations of abuses and criminal acts of Quiboloy,” she said.

In an article that was posted on the news website of ABS-CBN, Duenas was reported as having entered a plea deal with the US government, where a trafficking case has been filed against her and two other members of the Quiboloy religious group.

According to the report, Duenas admitted that from 2015 to 2020, there was an agreement between her and others to commit marriage fraud to keep KOJC members in the US while evading immigration laws.

“At defendant’s direction, defendant’s co-conspirators caused more than 25 but fewer than 100 -130 Petitions for Alien Relative and related paperwork on behalf of KOJC members to be submitted to the US government, knowing that the marriages referenced in those petitions were fraudulent and that they were arranged for purposes of securing favorable immigration status for the beneficiary,” a copy of the plea agreement obtained by ABS-CBN News read.

The news article also said that Duenas and others made efforts to ensure that KOJC members “who solicited money on behalf of KOJC did not deposit more than $10,000 in cash into a bank account in order to avoid bank reporting requirements, including by instructing workers to deposit cash in increments below $10,000 and at different bank branches.”

Duenas was among the three US-based KOJC administrators arrested during the FBI’s initial raid of the KOJC’s Van Nuys location in February of 2020.

SENATE President Francis “Chiz” Escudero yesterday said some nominees of party-list groups are taking advantage of a Supreme Court (SC) ruling stating who can run as sectoral representatives.

Escudero, during the Kapihan sa Senado forum, said it is not true that the party-list system is being used by political families who want to expand their clout.

“Sa isang desisyon ng Korte Suprema, sinabi nito na ang tatakbo sa party-list ay hindi kinakailangang bahagi ng sektor na iyon (There is a Supreme Court decision which says that those who will run as party- list representatives do not need to belong to the marginalized sector which he wants to represent,” Esscudero said.

‘Yun ay isang napakalaking butas na pinapasukan ngayon ng sinumang nais maging mambabatas sa Kamara (That is a loophole that is being used by those who wish to become members of the House of Representatives),” he added.

Escudero, who is a lawyer, also said there is no law that identifies which sectors should be represented in Congress.

“Wala tayong batas, sa totoo lang, na nagsasabi ano-ano ba ang mga sektor na meron tayo na dapat may kinatawan sa Kongreso. Ang pinakamalapit na diyan ay ang Local Government Code na nagsasabing women, farmers, fisherfolks, elderly pero hanggang ngayon, hindi pa -i-implement ‘yung provision na ‘yun ng Local Government Code (To be frank, we have no law which identifies what sectors need representations in Congress. The nearest law that I can think of is the Local Government Code which states that it should be the women, farmers, fisherfolks, and the elderly, but that provision has not been implemented),” he said.

“Napapanahon na siguro na i-identify ‘yan sa tulong ng Executive branch. Ano-ano ba ‘yung mga sektor na dapat kinakatawan o may kinatawan sa Kongreso? Elderly, sigurado. Women, sigurado. Ang kalalakihan ba kailangan? Nagtatanong ako ha. O ang LGBT community kailangan (It’s about time that we identify these sectors with the help of the Executive branch. What are the sectors that need to have a representative or be represented in Congress? The elderly, that’s for sure. Women, that’s also sure. Do men need to be represented? I am only asking. Or does the LGBT community also need to be represented)?” he asked.

But Escudero acknowledged that introducing amendments to the party-list system will have a slim chance of passing in Congress because of the number of party-list groups at the House of Representatives.

“Ang problema ay kung makakapasa ba ‘yan sa Kongreso sa dami ng bilang ng party-lists doon

(The question here is, will it be passed in Congress considering that there are several party list groups there),” he said.

Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III has said that he will push for reforms in the party-list system, which he said supposedly being abused to expand the clout of political families.

Pimentel said the reforms should also include the party-list nomination process, stressing that representatives should really come from the marginalized sector.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday said the total construction cost of the new Senate building has gone up to P33.07 billion.

The cost to complete the construction of the building was previously pegged at P23 billion.

Cayetano also said it will take the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) 36 to 48 months, or three to four years, to finish.

He called as “unacceptable” the new amount and timeline, which he said was submitted by the DPWH.

In a press conference, Cayetano urged the DPWH to take a “second look” at the new projections.

He said the 48 months approximate to finish the project is like constructing a new building from scratch.

“It’s only now that we have a timeline and overall project cost, but hindi acceptable ‘yung timeline na three to four years. And hindi rin acceptable kay Senate President ‘yung P31.6 billion na building cost or P33 billion na total project cost (but the timelime of three to four years is unacceptable. The building cost of P31.6 billion, or the total project cost of P33 billion, is also unacceptable),” he also said.

Cayetano said the DPWH sent Senate President Francis Escudero a letter dated September 17 stating the new cost and timeline to finish the building.

He said the construction of the building would cost more than P31.67 billion, but the total project cost would reach more than P33.07 billion, including the cost of the lot and other fixtures, aesthetic designs, and security features.

Cayetano said his committee is working on forming a “new” Senate Coordinating Team (SCT) to streamline internal processes and has asked the DPWH to do the same.

“We’re going to put up a new Senate coordinating committee kasi nga maraming, for lack of a better word, red tape, too many people, and too many levels. But we’re asking the DPWH to mirror ‘yung gagawin namin kasi paikot-ikot din sa iba’t-ibang proseso nila (We are going to create a new Senate coordinating team because, for lack of a better word, of red tape – there are too many people and too many levels. We’re asking the DPWH to mirror what we will do because their system has given us many run arounds because it is different),” he said.

Cayetano said the main goal is to bring down the cost significantly without compromising quality and safety.

SENATE President Francis Escudero yesterday said the government will need more than P27 billion to fully implement the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps program once it becomes a law.

Based on the fund requirement submitted by the Department of National Defense to the Senate, Escudero said once the mandatory ROTC program is implemented by 2025, it will need an initial funding of P5.2 million and P5.326 billion in 2026.

He said P5.648 billion will be needed in 2027, P8.072 billion in 2028, and another P8.072 billion in 2029, for a total of P27,124,362,930.40.

He said it would be “tough” for the Senate to pass the proposed measure since the budget can be used by state universities and colleges, and by the Department of Health, among other agencies in need of additional funds.

He said he is unsure if the mandatory ROTC program can be funded next year.

“One question here is, do we have P8 billion [a year] for that ROTC program? Because I’m sure that P8 billion will go a long way for other agencies and should this be given priority by Congress? Congress, in the exercise of its wisdom, shall decide on this matter in regard to the 2025 budget,” he said.

Escudero has been opposed to the mandatory ROTC since the program is offered as an alternative subject in the National Service Training Program for college students.

Senate majority leader Francis Tolentino earlier said that Malacanang had given the green light to prioritize the passage of the measure.

Escudero assured that he would not block the passage of the measure in the Senate. The Committee on National Defense has already come up with a committee report on the proposed measure and is being deliberated in the plenary.

A counterpart measure was passed on final reading at the House of Representatives last May.

He said funding more than P27 billion for the program may not be wise considering the limited financial capacity of the government.

“You have to understand government is actually about allocating scarce resources, if we are able to allocate scarce resources then we governed properly. Allocating scarce resources means prioritizing certain budget expenditures over others. That will be weighed, decided upon not only by the Senate but the House of Representatives, as well,” he said.

DISMISSED Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo gave “new names” who are allegedly involved in the illegal operation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) facilities in the country during her executive session with senators last Tuesday, Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said yesterday.

Ejercito made the disclosure even as he refused to give more details, citing Senate rules on the conduct of closed-door meetings.

Senators had an executive meeting with Guo on Tuesday to allow the dismissed mayor to divulge more information on the individuals behind illegal POGOs operating in the country.

It was held as the Senate Committee on Women convened its hearing on the POGO issue.

Prior to the closed-door meeting, committee chairperson Sen. Risa Hontiveros showed her office’s recorded video interview with Wang Fu Gui, who introduced himself as a cellmate of She Zhijiang in a Thai jail.

Ejercito said Guo hesitated about spilling the beans on the illegal POGOs for fear of her safety.

“Meron naman (new information). Siguro hesitant siya minsan eh. Kasi siguro by naming names, probably, medyo takot din siya…So, there are some names that cropped up (There are new information. But sometimes she was hesitant maybe because by naming names she fears for her safety… There were some names that cropped up),” Ejercito said during the Kapihan sa Senado media forum.

Hontiveros had earlier said that she was not “totally satisfied” with Guo’s revelations during their first executive session, which was held last September 24.

She said, though, that during the first meeting, “there was one crucial personality confirmed by Guo Hua Ping” which corroborates “a theory that the committee shared a month ago.” She did not elaborate.

Ejercito said it would be better for Guo to identify the big personalities behind illegal POGO operations so she can be tapped as a state witness.

“Siguro if she can really point to the real masterminds, yung mga most guilty… then probably we can, baka puedeng ma-offer yung pagiging state witness sa kanya. As long as she points to the most guilty, as she claims kasi that she’s just a victim (Maybe if she can really point to the real masterminds, the most guilty…then probably we can, maybe we can offer her to be a state witness. As long as she points to the most guilty as she claims that she’s just a victim),” he said.

Ejercito said government agencies involved in intelligence gathering should take a look into the recorded video interview of Wang Fu Gui which confirms She Zhijiang’s revelations that Guo is also a Chinese spy.

“I think that the agencies should already take it from here and continue the investigation. National security issue na ito (This is a national security issue). Nandyan ang  NBI, DND, NSC, they should do the investigation and dig into this (We have the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of National Defense, the National Security Council that should do the investigation and dig into this),” he said.

Ejercito said he would have wanted to grill a former Bamban, Tarlac mayor who was allegedly instrumental for the entry of Guo into politics but was not able to do so during last Tuesday’s hearing due to lack of time.

He said there are the likes of Guo who have also been elected government officials, most of whom are in the local level.

Ejercito said he has met a lot of these elected officials and can tell that some of them are not Filipinos.

“May mga nakikilala, may nami-meet din ako na mga officials ngayon na alam kong ‘China man’ kasi malalaman mo, I came from a Chinese school. I can distinguish yung accent at saka yung itsura nung mga talagang those who are really Chinoys, yung talagang dito na pinananganak at dito na lumaki. Yung mga talagang China man na tinatawag, sila yung talagang dayo lamang (I have known and met local officials whom I can sense as ‘China man.’ I can tell because I came from a Chinese school. I can distinguish them by their accent and by their looks, and I can tell who are Chinoys [Chinese-Filipinos], who were born and grew up here. The China man I am referring to are those who are aliens),” he said.

He said the Senate should be able to come up with proposed measures on how to prevent the likes of Guo from entering politics, and worse, from getting elected.

At the same time, Ejercito said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should strictly screen those who filed their certificates of candidacies to make sure that non-Filipinos do not run for public office.

Also, he said the Philippine Statistics Authority should be stricter in issuing birth certificates, especially to those who avail the late registration system.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday said nearly 14,000 employment opportunities are set to be offered today during the twin special job fairs for workers set to be displaced by the ban on POGOs

In a phone interview, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said 13,744 job vacancies will be offered in the two job fair venues in Makati City and Parañaque City.

At the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City, there will be 60 participating local employers that shall offer 8,162 job vacancies.

Jobs include those in the industries of BPO, wholesale and retail, transport and logistics, construction, tourism, hospitality, and health and wellness.

Over at the Ayala Malls Circuit in Makati City, there will be 44 local employers and four overseas recruitment firms that will offer 5,582 job vacancies. — With Gerard Naval

SENATE deputy majority leader Joseph Victor Ejercito yesterday called for the replacement of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) president Emmanuel Ledesma for his alleged failure to fully implement the Universal Healthcare (UHC) Law.

Ejercito, an author and sponsor of the UHC Law, said he is disappointed with the meager amount of PhilHealth’s contribution to patients’ hospital bills amid its announcement of billions in excess funds.

As an example, Ejercito showed during the Kapihan sa Senado media forum patient’s hospital bill in the Philippine General Hospital, amounting to P270,894 but the deductible amount shared by PhilHealth was only P32,964, or only 12 percent of the total bill.

He said another patient in a private hospital had a total bill of more than P1.5 million while PhilHealth’s share was only P10,700 or 0.69 percent.

He said other bills reflected a PhilHealth contribution of 18.58 percent, 8.28 percent, and 4.73 percent.

What surprised him even more, Ejercito said, was when PhilHealth shared only P15,120 or 1.03 percent from a patient’s bill in a public hospital that amounted to over P1.4 million.

Ejercito said he will ask PhilHealth to explain the very low deductions in patients’ hospital bills when the agency’s proposed budget for next year is tackled in the plenary.

“I need an explanation [from PhilHealth] why this is happening to our beneficiaries, claimants. 1 percent, 12 percent is way too low when our target is to lower the out-of-pocket expenses of patients,” he said in Filipino.

He said PhilHealth should ease the burden of the people as being hospitalized means big expenses due to costly hospital rooms, medicines, and doctors’ professional fees, among others.

“We are boasting of a Universal Healthcare and PhilHealth will shoulder only a small amount of the bill? … The UHC Law should have been felt by the people. PhilHealth is not living up to the expectations of the people in the Universal Healthcare Act),” he said.

Ejercito said PhilHealth has declared it has excess funds and yet several hospitals have not yet been paid.

He said PhilHealth should not act as a “savings bank or a financial institution” that needs to have big earnings when its funds are coming from the members’ contributions and yearly government subsidy.

He is also wondering how PhilHealth computes its share in patients’ hospital bills.

DISMISSED Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo yesterday said she will not seek reelection in next year’s midterm polls.

Guo, also known by her Chinese name Guo Hua Ping, made the remark after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ordered the filing of an election offense case against her over her alleged material misrepresentation in her Certificate of Candidacy in the May 2022 polls.

In its 12-page Minute Resolution No. 24-0761, the Comelec en banc adopted the recommendation of its Law Department for the filing of criminal raps against Guo before the appropriate court.

Guo, during the resumption of the Senate Committee on Women hearing on the ills of the POGO industry, said she will first clear her name before returning to politics.

“Haharapin ko na muna po ‘yung mga accusations sa akin. Lilinisin ko muna po ang sarili ko para maging fair naman sa mga constituents ko (I will first face the accusation against me. I will clear my name to be fair to my constituents),” Guo said.

Gou’s legal counsel, Stephen David, earlier said her client will seek reelection.

Senators have earlier said that it would be a mockery of the Philippine system if Guo is still allowed to run for public office since evidence shows that she is not a Filipino citizen.

COMELEC DECISION

“The Commission resolved, as it hereby resolves, to adopt the recommendation of the Law Department to the filing of information against Respondent Alice Leal Guo/Hua Ping before the proper Regional Trial Court for violation of Section 74 in relation to Section 262 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC),” said the Comelec.

In its recommendation, the Law Department said there is clear evidence that Guo is not a Filipino.

“It is clear from the evidence presented by Complainant that there is sufficient ground to believe that Respondent committed material misrepresentation in violation of Section 74 of the OEC in relation to Section 262 of the same Code when she declared in her COC that she is a Filipino citizen and is a resident of Bamban, Tarlac, when in truth and in fact, she is not,” said Comelec.

The Law Department said Guo made false representations pertaining to her qualifications for elective office, specifically her lack of citizenship and her failure to meet the residency requirement.

In her COC in 2022, Guo declared her name as Alice Leal Guo; citizenship as Filipino; birthplace in Tarlac, Tarlac; birthday on July 12, 1986; and has been residing in the Philippines for 35 years and 2 months and in Bamban, Tarlac for 18 years and two months a day before Election Day.

But her NBI Alien Fingerprint Card showed her name as Hua Ping Lin Guo; citizenship as Chinese; birthplace in Fuiian, China; birthday on August 31, 1990; and a resident of Fujian, China as of March 2006.

“Based on the evidence presented, including the dactyloscopy report from the NBI revealing matching fingerprint patterns, as well as the ERSD’s signature examination report and dactyloscopic report, there are significant similarities in the signature and fingerprint specimen of the Respondent and Hua Ping Lin Guo. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that Respondent and Hua Ping Lin Guo are likely one and the same individuals,” said the Comelec.

An election offense case carries the penalty of one to six years imprisonment and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

A CHINESE SPY

A confessed Chinese criminal claimed that Guo is a Chinese spy “but not a special one” whose mayoralty run in 2022 was “arranged” by China’s Ministry of State Security.

In a recorded Zoom interview shown by the office of Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros yesterday, Wang Fu Gui, who claimed he was a cellmate of She Zhijiang in a Thai jail, said he learned this after She “entrusted me to handle some of his declassified file matters” after his release from prison.

She was arrested in Thailand in August 2022 for various crimes in China, including human trafficking, extortion, and cybercrimes. He was the chairman of Yatai International Holdings Group which has gambling investments throughout Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Myanmar, and the Philippines.

He granted Al Jazeera an exclusive interview that was shown on international TV, where he claimed he was a Chinese spy and Guo was one of them.

Wang said he shared the same cell with She for one-and-a-half years and established a close friendship.

“I was his cellmate; we were good friends who trusted each other and lived in prison for 1.5 years. After my release, he entrusted me to handle some of his declassified file matters,” Wang said in Chinese which was translated to English.

“In fact, the content of the declassified file kept by Mr. She is large and I only have declassified a portion under his authorization,” Wang said.

“Guo Hua Ping was a spy but not a special one. It just so happens there is a copy of her state security background there. And her situation with Mr. She has a lot of similarities. That’s all I can say because I’m not Mr. She himself and according to my agreement with him, I can only reveal so much. Sorry,” he added.

Wang said She admitted that “field agents” recruited by the State Security will have a detailed background information investigation and will be later assigned “special hacking teams and hometown associations and chambers of commerce in charge of overseas information collection, including the secrets and weaknesses of some people that will be held in the background information” which will be the “main method of controlling the field agents.”

“For example, Guo Hua Ping’s fake Filipino identity is such a secret and weakness that she can only listen to State Security. Mr. She’s experience is similar,” he said.

Wang said the “overseas special agents” recruited by China’s State Security included spies who collect intelligence and do other work for the political and economic interests of the Chinese government, such as officials and businessmen in some countries.

He said he has no knowledge as to what information Guo may have gotten from the Philippines which she supposedly sent to China and who else among her relatives is involved in alleged spying activities.

Wang said the POGO industry and scamming have a “correlation” with spying operations.

“It has a lot to do with the Chinese government’s exuberant intelligence. There’s also the fact all of this is totally connected to the Belt and Road (project) which is also just part of a huge united front and intelligence strategic plan for the whole world, including foreign colonization tactics,” he said.

When asked if there are other spies in the Philippines other than Chinese citizens, Wang said: “There are people from all countries and they are not all Chinese. That’s all I can answer, sorry.”

Wang said Ma Dong Li, a member of the Communist Party of China, is the “security contact” of She and could also be the handler of She and Guo.

He described Ma as a second generation of the “Reds” who has an “American identity” and a vice president of the Thai-Chinese Association.

“He (Ma) is the third highest ranking member of the Yatai International Holdings Group before She “was illegally entrapped.”

“There is a high probability that he is also Guo Hua Ping’s handler and that Mr. She Zhijiang’s contact with Guo Hua Ping is through Ma Dong Li,” he added.

Wang said Guo ran as mayor of Bamban, Tarlac during the 2022 elections through the help of the State Security.

“Her campaign itself was arranged by Chinese state security,” he added.

Wang said since he was released from prison, he has not been able to communicate with She, saying the latter is “now reported to have been severely suppressed by the Chinese government for his revelation of the espionage case involving Ms. Guo Hua Ping and due to the sensitivity of the matter. Mr. She Zhijiang has been placed under strict surveillance in Thai prisons and his contact with the outside world has been restricted.”

He said She is willing to cooperate with the Philippine government in whatever investigation it is doing in connection with his revelations.

Guo denied anew that she knows She and that she is a spy.

“Hindi ko rin po kilala si Ma Dong Li. Wala akong handler, hindi ako spy. Wala ring nag-recruit sa akin mag-trabaho para sa ibang bansa (I don’t know Ma Dong Li. I don’t have a handler, I am not a spy. Nobody has recruited me to work for any other country),” she said.

“Maybe they have other motives, I do not know then and I don’t know their plans. We will file charges against Al Jazeera,” Guo said.

Hontiveros said her office wanted to extract more information from She but their request to talk to him was turned down by the Philippine Embassy in Thailand “for diplomatic reasons.”

Hontiveros said she instructed her staff members to find other resource persons privy to what She revealed that Guo was a spy until they were able to make a connection with Wang.

IMMIGRATION ‘THEORY’

Bureau of Immigration officer-in-charge Joel Anthony Viado said the agency’s “initial theory is that Guo and her siblings entered Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 18, 2024 at 12:17 p.m. based on validation with their counterparts in Malaysia.”

Viado, however, said they are still validating how Guo was able to get or ride a plane going to Kuala Lumpur.

He said the “second phase” of their report is still incomplete.

“They could have used a private airstrip. That is also included in the report. This is still a pending investigation; we have to do validation on our own but through our validation it was confirmed that Guo entered Kuala Lumpur on July 18. What we are doing is we are requesting the airlines a copy of their manifests,” Viado said.

He said based on BI records, Ma Dong Li first arrived in the country in May 1995 and left in June 2018.

Senators said Ma could have been going in and out of the country using different identities. — With Gerard Naval

Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa yesterday said he has “A1” information that “someone” from Malacañang had supposedly sent an emissary to allegedly ask dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, or Guo Hua Ping, to sign a prepared affidavit implicating him, former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Christopher Go, and former PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Maj. General Romeo Caramat in the illegal operation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

Dela Rosa made the claim during yesterday’s hearing of the Senate Committee on Women on the criminal activities linked to POGO operations.

The senator, a staunch ally of the former president, was questioning Mary Ann Maslog, who has been convicted of graft for her involvement in the 1998 textbook scam, when he raised the allegation.

Maslog faked her death in 2019 to escape the warrant of arrest issued by the court in relation to her graft conviction. She was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation last week.

Maslog, who now goes by the name Dr. Jessica Francisco, has earlier claimed she was supposedly recruited by the PNP Intelligence Group to facilitate the surrender of Guo while the latter was in Indonesia.

She was invited as a resource person in the hearing after it was reported that she had twice visited Guo at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame.

Maslog was reportedly accompanied by Guo’s lawyer, Stephen David, and PNP Intelligence Group director Brig. Gen. Romeo Juan Macapaz.

Dela Rosa said a “very reliable source” informed him that Malacañang allegedly wanted Guo to sign the prepared affidavit that Maslog brought with her during the visits.

“Mayroon akong impormasyon na you are being used para papirmahin si Alice Guo ng affidavit, affidavit na magtuturo na si Presidente Duterte, si Senator Bong Go, si Senator Bato, at Gen. Caramat ay nasa likod ng POGO… I can pin you down. Huwag kang iiling-iling diyan. Alam ko yang impormasyon na ‘yan (I have information that you are being used to make Alice Guo sign an affidavit which will point to [former] President Duterte, Sen. Bong Go, Sen. Bato, and Gen. Caramat as behind the POGO operations… I can pin you down. Do not shake your head. I know that information),” Dela Rosa said.

When asked to confirm his statement, Guo opted to “remain silent.”

Maslog denied Dela Rosa’s allegation and said that she visited Guo because the latter was offering “information” on the presence of “someone” in Bamban in relation to the operation of POGOs.

She also belied that Malacañang used her to convince Guo to sign the alleged affidavit.

Macapaz, who joined the hearing via teleconferencing since he was not an invited resource person, said he accompanied Maslog during her first visit but not during her second visit.

Macapaz said he joined Maslog and David on their first visit to Guo since the dismissed mayor was reportedly set to reveal the names of the people behind illegal POGO operations.

“Kaya sumama ako kasi may ire-reveal daw si Alice na vital sa operations na ito.  May involved pa raw na malaking tao. There are names mentioned, it was recorded (The reason why I joined them was because Alice will allegedly reveal something which is vital to these [illegal POGO] operations. There are allegedly ‘big people’ involved. Their names were mentioned, it was recorded),” he said.

He said he will reveal the names in an executive session, but senators turned down his request.

Maslog, when pressed to name at least one of the names, said she saw a certain “ALG” in the “communication,” which she presumed was the initials of Alice Leal Guo, and alleged that the name “Faeldon” also came up.

Guo said Maslog could be referring to former Bureau of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, who she said has a goat farm in Bamban, Tarlac.

CONTEMPT

Dela Rosa moved to cite Maslog in contempt for supposedly lying on her role in convincing Guo to surrender while the latter was hiding in Indonesia.

He said Maslog was obviously lying before the committee when she said that it was Macapaz who tapped her to convince Guo to surrender to authorities, contrary to what Macapaz said that it was Maslog who volunteered.

“Now, Gen. Macapaz is saying that Mary Ann Maslog went to him to volunteer. With that I move that Ms. Mary Ann Maslog be cited for contempt,” Dela Rosa said, which was later approved by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Committee on Women.

Maslog had said she was asked by the PNP IG to contact Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo Calugay to seek his help in convincing Guo to yield.

She said the PNP IG knew of her friendship with Calugay and thought that he can contact Guo because of their reported romantic relations.

Macapaz said Maslog told him that she has direct contact with David and “we believe that they will give us positive information.”

He said they brought along Maslog during their first trip to Indonesia, the date of which he cannot recall, so she can talk with Guo. 

He added that Guo did not show up on that first instance.

Maslog said she went to Indonesia with Macapaz and his team when Guo was already arrested in Indonesia. She said her airfare was reimbursed by the PNP IG, which was denied by Macapaz who said that his office does not have funds for such trips.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said Maslog was lying throughout the hearing.

Maslog will still be detained at the NBI headquarters despite the Senate contempt citation due to a commitment order from the court.

Hontiveros suspended the hearing after more than seven hours of hearing.

Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros yesterday called for a Senate review of the contracts awarded by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to implement the automation of the 2025 midterm elections following the withdrawal of one of the three local firms of the Miru Systems joint venture.

The Joint Venture of Miru Systems, St. Timothy Construction Corp (STCC), Integrated Computer Systems, and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies Inc. bagged the P17.99 billion Full Automation System with Transparency Audit/Count (FASTrAC) contract for the national and local elections to be held next year.

The Comelec announced last week that the STCC has backed out of the joint venture due to conflict of interest as its chief financial officer, Sarah Discaya, is running in the mayoralty race in Pasig City.

The Comelec has said that the STCC provided the Net Financial Contracting Capacity for the joint venture.

In a statement, Hontiveros said: “The Senate should exercise its oversight functions and closely probe the contracts being awarded by Comelec to facilitate the 2025 elections. Hindi tayo pwedeng mauwi sa manual elections, o sa kahit anong scenario na makakaapekto sa karapatan ng bawat Pilipino na bumoto at pumili sa susunod nating mga pinuno (We cannot allow a return to manual elections or have any scenario that will affect the voting rights of Filipinos).”

She said that from the start, Comelec should have been competitive in its bidding process.

“Hindi sana tayo namomobrelam sa biglaang pag-atras ng St. Timothy Construction Corp (STCC). sa joint venture para sa halalan sa 2025 kung sa una pa lang ay mas naging competitive at masusi ang bidding process ng Comelec (The sudden withdrawal of St. Timothy Construction Corp’s from the joint venture for the 2025 elections would not be an issue if the Comelec had been competitive in its bidding process),” she said. 

She added: “Why anyone would want to pull out of the richest voting procurement in the Comelec’s history — P18 billion for the mere lease of voting machines and related equipment — is a red flag.”

Hontiveros also said that “another red flag is why such a lucrative procurement project attracted only a single qualified bidder — the joint venture headed by Miru Systems.”

Hontiveros said she is likewise wondering why the bid price was so high as there are features in the voting machines which will not be used in the elections.

“Ngayong umatras ang St. Timothy Construction, may ka-kontrata pa ba ang Comelec (Does the Comelec have another contract now that St. Timothy has withdrawn)? Under the laws on partnership, the withdrawal of a joint venture partner like St. Timothy generally causes the dissolution of the joint venture itself,” she said.

She added: “And even if the joint venture continues to exist without St. Timothy, does it still possess the financial capacity required by government procurement laws? The Comelec seems to share the same concern since it required the remaining joint venture partners to prove that they still possess the Net Financial Contracting Capacity to take on the project.”

She said that St. Timothy appears to be a “repackaged version” of an expired product, noting that it shares a common address and incorporator with that of a blacklisted contractor based in Pasig City.

SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday said he will propose an additional funding of P3.9 billion for the government’s free higher education program to fill in the looming budget deficit for state universities and colleges (SUCs) under the proposed 2025 national budget.

Gatchalian said the proposed P23.38 billion budget for free higher education falls short of the estimate given by the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) that around P27.078 billion is needed to fully fund the program.

His office, on the other hand, has come up with a P27.3 spending requirement to fully implement the program.

This, Gatchalian said, would be a deficit of as much as P3.9 billion.

He said that if the budget gap is not addressed, SUCs will not be able to hire more instructors, purchase learning equipment, and build more facilities needed to deliver quality tertiary education.

“The free higher education will yield the country more students who will graduate with a diploma and that will enable them to get meaningful jobs,” said Gatchalian, one of the authors and co-sponsors of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (Republic Act No. 10931), better known as the Free Higher Education Law.

Gatchalian said he will request Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Committee on Finance, during the plenary deliberations of the budget measure to realign portions of the financial assistance packages allotted for programs under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the free higher education program.

“Ang hinihingi naman ng SUCs ay P3 billion in addition, kaya kukurot lang tayo doon sa P591.8 billion na pondo ng mga programang pang ayuda para mapununan natin ang kailangan sa free higher education (The SUCs are asking for around P3 billion additional budget. Maybe we can get it from the P591.8 billion budget for financial assistance programs so we can fill in the budget deficit for free higher education),” he said.

The senator is referring to the DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), and DOLE’s Tulong Pang-hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), and Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

The free higher education program has increased the enrollment in higher education.

From 2.9 million during the School Year 2017-2018, or before the enactment of RA 10931, enrollment in higher education went up to 5.09 million for SY 2023-2024.