Press Release - Transcript of press conference of Senator Risa Hontiveros on Alice Guo and other issues

Q: Good morning, Senator. Question ko lang, Senator. Is there and what is the extent, if any, of cooperation with the Chinese Embassy? Because obviously these are Chinese nationals, records may come from China. Meron ba kayong cooperation with them to an extent?

Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): Wala pang direct cooperation sa pagitan ng Committee on Women at saka yung Chinese Embassy. Pero aware ako na may limited or may certain degree of cooperation between our law enforcement agencies at yung Chinese Embassy.

The example I know of is pagkatapos ng successful raid ng PAOCC-TF dun sa POGO hub sa Bamban, ay kung saan, naka-aresto nga sila ng anim na Chinese fugitives. But there was one, yung sinasabing pinaka-Chinese boss na nakatakas, si Huang Zhiyang, who's also, by the way, the only one that Mayor Alice Guo admitted to knowing and dealing with personally.

Apparently, may request or standing request through the Chinese Embassy in Manila na mapasakamay nila or mapasa-jurisdiction nila because he is wanted, di umano, sa Tsina for various offenses.

Q: So even though limited, positive naman. So they're open to communicating with our law enforcement?

SRH: Well, they have communicated with our law enforcement. Yes.

Q: Ma'am, hindi naman na tayo sa stolen identity. Parang kinlaim nyo na ito nung isang araw bale. Ma'am, may we know anong charges yung pwedeng i-file, na pwedeng harapin? Na mukhang mas malakas po yung ebidensya na may stolen identity sa pagkakataong ito.

SRH: Right, right. Well, dagdag dun sa nakahain na nakaso for qualified trafficking in persons na napakabigat na yan kasi it's a non-bailable offense. Based sa input sa mga resource persons from the different agencies, especially the Philippine Statistics Authority, even before being charged with any particular offense, yung pinaka-grave na consequence na pwedeng harapin at hinaharap ni Mayor Alice Guo ay yung cancellation nung kanyang deemed irregular na birth certificate.

And we heard it from the PSA na finorward na nila sa OSG, yung kanyang rekomendasyon nila na OSG, as it is mandated, can be the one to cancel the birth certificate.

At parang domino effect na yun sa ibang mabibigat na consequences na