MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian vowed to scrutinize how law enforcement agencies use their intelligence funds after the scandalous failure to detect the exit of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo from the Philippines.
Last August 2019, Sen. Risa Hontiveros made a manifestation that Guo had already left the country as early as July 18 when she was under an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order and a standing Senate investigation.
Before the big reveal, law enforcement agencies, especially the Bureau of Immigration assured senators that Guo was still in the country because no departure has ever been recorded.
Gatchalian called this an “apparent failure of intelligence.”
“Talagang may pagkukulang ang ating mga law enforcement agencies pagdating sa intelligence. Once we deliberate on their budgets for 2025, I will definitely ask these agencies how their intelligence funds are being spent and how they build an efficient intelligence network,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
“This is a learning process, and it is important for our agencies to expedite the gathering of evidence for the immediate filing of cases,” he said.
During the Senate hearing last August 27, several government agencies, especially the BI received reprimand from senators for letting Guo slip through the hands of the law despite legal holds in place.
In earlier hearings, the BI said no records prove Guo has slipped out of the Philippines and that they will not let her escape not knowing she has been out all along.
Guo was last seen publicly during the May 22 Senate hearing. The former mayor has been accused of supporting the operations of a raided POGO hub in her town.
