Dismissed Bamban and Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who is now widely known as Guo Hua Ping, will appear before the House quad-committee panel after the Valenzuela Regional Trial Court (RTC) granted permission for her attendance at Thursday's hearing.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo announced in a press briefing that the regional trial court of the city approved the former mayor's attendance. A court order is deemed required before Guo can participate in the hearing.
The House quad-committee is a joint panel investigating the alleged interconnectedness of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), extrajudicial killings, Chinese syndicates, and illegal drugs in the Philippines during the Duterte administration.
The Capas, Tarlac RTC Branch 109 issued an arrest warrant for Guo on September 5 due to her alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The Capas RTC set her bail at P180,000, but she has yet to post bail, which has led to her ongoing police custody.
Previously, during a committee hearing, Senate Majority Leader Francis "Tol" Tolentino cited Republic Act 10660, which mandates that cases be tried in a judicial region different from where the official held office to avoid any potential bias.
Hence, the transfer of Guo's case to Valenzuela RTC.
The former mayor is being investigated for her alleged involvement with the POGO firm that was raided in the town of Bamban.
Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed during a Senate session that Guo fled the country and traveled to Malaysia on July 18. She was then arrested in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 4 and was promptly returned to the Philippines on September 6.
Guo appeared twice before a Senate committee panel chaired by Hontiveros on September 9 and September 17.
