By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, slipped out of the country last month, dodging the law while linked to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO).
It’s been agonizing for lawmakers who wanted to pin her down since Day 1 of the hearings on sprawling compounds that serve as safe havens for a host of illegal activities and illegal aliens.
Then after authorities confirmed she’s gone, Malacañang steps in and orders the Department of Foreign Affairs to cancel her passport.
Talk about “perfect timing!” Now you lift a finger and decide to act? Wow!
Accountability
As expected, lawmakers demand that the government uncover who helped Guo flee the country. This should not be a mystery, though. Guo could not have vanished without inside help.
Heads must roll, and it’s not just about firing those involved; they must be jailed. The message is simple: betray the public trust, and you pay with more than your job. Let’s make this a lesson no one dares to repeat.
Congressman Jefferson Khonghun of Zambales was very bold in blaming the Bureau of Immigration. He said the BI has a lot to answer now that Guo is out of reach of local authorities.
Fierce femmes
Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio faced the Senate to justify the DepEd budget, but what stole the spotlight was her P10-million book project.
When pressed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Duterte deflected, politicizing the issue instead of answering basic questions about the book she authored.
This is the same official who blew through P125 million in confidential funds in 11 days and sought another P500 million for 2023.
There’s no hiding that Inday Sara treated public funds like her personal slush fund. That is why she’s been evasive at the hearing and dragging the discussion with Hontiveros to political waters.
Nice try, Sara. But the public — no longer under the spell of the Duterte iron fist — can see through all that now.
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SHORT BURSTS. For comments or reactions, email firingline@ymail.com or tweet @Side_View via X app (formerly Twitter). Read current and past issues of this column at http://www.thephilbiznews.com
