Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo will remain under the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP) after her legal team decided not to post bail for her Tarlac cases.
In a chance interview outside the Capas, Tarlac trial court that issued the arrest warrant against Guo, her lawyer Nicole Jamilla explained that posting bail would not fulfill its intended purpose of securing temporary freedom, given that another warrant of arrest has been issued by the Senate.
“Sa ngayon hindi pa siya nagba-bail kasi may motion pa kaming ipa-file… We see no reason [to post bail] considering na kahit mag-bail sya, definitely hindi pa rin makukuha yung purpose dahil may other warrant of arrest,” Jamilla said.
Instead of being turned over to the Senate, Guo was handed over to the PNP upon her arrival in the Philippines early Friday morning after the Capas court issued a warrant of arrest in connection with the criminal cases filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
According to PNP-CIDG director Maj. Gen. Leo Francisco, Guo will return to the PNP Custodial Facility in Camp Crame following her appearance in Capas RTC.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros had earlier raised concerns about why Guo seemed to prefer PNP detention over Senate custody. In a statement later that afternoon, Hontiveros called the latest development “irregular” and questioned the motives behind the DILG’s intervention.
“Did the DILG file a deliberately watered-down case to wrest custody of the fugitive? Bakit? Napaka-iregular ng mga nangyari. We will get to the bottom of who is orchestrating all this circus and wild goose chase,” the senator said.
With the PNP detaining Guo, the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality is facing challenges in securing her attendance at its upcoming hearing.
Hontiveros mentioned that she has already written to the Capas court, seeking permission for Guo to attend the panel’s probe on Monday.
Meanwhile, the PNP assured that Guo would not receive special treatment while in custody, stating that she would not be allowed access to a cellphone or air conditioning.
