Photo credit: Senate PH

Senator Risa Hontiveros, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, took decisive action in the Senate's probe into POGO-related crimes by ruling to cite suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo in contempt. Guo's refusal to attend the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality's ongoing investigation prompted Hontiveros to pursue a contempt citation, potentially leading to an arrest order once approved by Senate President Francis "Chiz" G. Escudero.

The Senate panel also named seven others in contempt, including Guo's relatives and alleged incorporators of raided POGO hubs. Hontiveros expressed strong condemnation, emphasizing Guo's alleged exploitation of regulatory loopholes to gain Filipino citizenship and enable the operations of illicit Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

"You took advantage of our brittle regulatory system. Our system may be brittle, but it is not broken. The people will hold you accountable, Mayor Guo," Senator Hontiveros asserted during the hearing.