By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Who’s not to find this interesting: Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco just vouched for the credibility of Sheila Guo’s story that she and her sister, wanted Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, slipped out of the country by boat using the country’s southern backdoor.
Latching quickly to that statement made by Sheila, the BI chief now insists that her story confirms immigration investigators’ theory on how the Guos evaded formal inspections when they exited the country.
Of course, Tansingco’s assertion seems self-serving. Remember, President Bongbong Marcos recently declared that heads would roll once those responsible for aiding the Guos’ escape were exposed. With that kind of pressure, it’s almost convenient that Tansingco’s theory is suddenly “validated.”
And yet, Tansingco buys Shiela’s revelation, line, hook, and sinker — even though she admitted to senators that her entire identity is a lie: she wasn’t born in the Philippines and isn’t even biologically related to Alice. How does one believe a person who fabricates their very existence?
The BI chief’s quick endorsement of Shiela’s story as proof of their theory raises eyebrows. Is this really about uncovering the truth, or is it a ploy to absolve himself and his men of accountability?
Because, clearly, buying this script of a daring escape over rough seas shifts blame onto the Guos while conveniently dodging questions about how they managed to slip through the cracks of the BI in the first place.
The Department of Justice may need a deeper investigation into whether this “confirmation” is valid or just a way to keep certain heads in the immigration bureau intact.
Photos can be deceiving
The lawyer of Cassandra Li Ong, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, presented a photo showing his client beside First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and President Bongbong, sparking wild speculation. But let’s not jump to conclusions.
Sure, Topacio dangles the image like bait — a juicy tidbit that can be spun several ways to embarrass or implicate the President in POGOs.
But Presidential Special Envoy to China Benito Techico, also in the photo, quickly debunked Topacio’s claims. He clarified that the picture was taken in November 2020, long before Marcos was elected president.
He said the snapshot was an innocent moment at a Pasay City restaurant, where someone simply asked to have their picture taken with the Marcoses. Neither the First Couple nor Techico had any idea who the people in the photo were — much less who Cassandra Ong was.
Topacio, however, twists this mundane encounter into a conspiracy, hinting at cozy ties between the First Family and shady POGO operators. But there are more instances than one that make me second-guess the stories spun by this particular lawyer when the press cameras are rolling.
As Rep. Robert Ace Barbers rightly noted, a photo alone proves nothing without concrete evidence.
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