Press Release - Statement of Senator Risa Hontiveros on the ongoing Senate hearings on Mayor Alice Guo

This is not an attack on Filipinos of Chinese heritage. My own maternal great-grandmother was pure Chinese. The revelations about Mayor Alice Guo came out after evidence of her complicity in POGO-related crimes. At ang ibang ebidensya galing mismo sa kanyang mga salita.

Marami nang ebidensya ang nalikom laban sa mga POGO sa huling walong hearing ng aking komite. Among these is the proliferation of fake identification documents from PhilHealth IDs to passports. This just shows how Chinese POGO syndicates have managed to obtain fraudulent Filipino identities through corrupt individuals in our government agencies. At ang Malala kay Mayor Guo, she is a public servant.

Huwag din nating kalimutan na ang POGO sa munisipalidad ni Mayor ay may 'di umanong hacking at surveillance activities. Considering China's aggressive influence operations around the world, it would be remiss of the Senate not to look into this angle.

Marami pang gustong ibunyag ang ilang government agencies tungkol sa POGOs, na kanilang gagawin sa executive session bago ang susunod na public hearing.

Sa gitna ng lahat ng ito, inuulit ko ang paalala ko na hindi kailanman magiging katanggap-tanggap ang racism, xenophobia at Sinophobia. Regardless of our heritage, all law-abiding citizens should not be the subject of hate and discrimination.

This is not a witch hunt. This is not about politics. This is about national security, criminal activities, accountability in public service, the rights and welfare of women and children, and the structural failure of our system to regulate POGO as a business model.