Billionairess Alice Guo’s privilege / DepEd Usec bares Sara ‘payola’

Billionairess Alice Guo has privilege. Feigning Tuesday to be a POGO victim, she made senators agree to a closed-door hearing.

Senators broke their rules. Executive sessions are held only if national security or public order is at stake. None of that in Guo’s case.

Only senators and the witness may join. Staff are forbidden. But Guo’s lawyer participated via Zoom.

Since May 7th Guo lied to senators countless times. They unearthed her 45 crimes. She isn’t even Filipino, but Chinese. Yet they trusted her.

She fled abroad, during which she faked a court affidavit. Captured and repatriated, she gave senators only three stock replies: “Hindi ko po alam,” “I invoke my right against self-incrimination,” “May death threats po ako.” That wore them down.

Only last week they said a closed-door session would violate the public’s right to know. Tuesday, Guo offered to name the POGO mastermind who “victimized” her. They granted her a secret session.

What made them relent – “marites” craving, or to curry Guo’s favor, or fear that she might link them to the capo di tutti capi?

Now, per executive session rules, senators are as tight-lipped as Guo. Shut out, the public won’t ever be able to tell them if what Guo uttered was true or not.

Is the POGO overlord Filipino or Chinese? Is he a politico to whom senators owe fealty? Or an alien who contributes to election campaigns?

Tuesday’s hearing was the penultimate. After five months of factfinding, senators must summarize. Guo’s closed-door blah-blah will prevent their naming the POGO boss. Can it help legislation?

Wednesday, committee head Risa Hontiveros claimed that they’ve long suspected a gangster to be the mastermind whom Guo identified. Can that remark make the report credible?

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In contrast, the public took part in Wednesday’s live-streamed House hearing. It thus became credible.

Topic: DepEd procurement fraud in 2023. Ex-Usec. Gloria Jumamil Mercado revealed monetary “influencing” by then-secretary Sara Duterte.

Instantly, viewers texted members of the committee on good government and public accountability about her sterling credentials. Namely, on Rep. Dan Fernandez’s ascertaining, that Mercado was a:

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