Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo during a Senate inquiry on May 7, 2024. Photo from Sen. Risa Hontiveros' Facebook page

MANILA — Is the Philippines entering the era of a so-called POGO-politics?

This was the warning of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday following a Senate hearing that raised even more questions about the identity of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who was accused of facilitating and backing an illegal Chinese gambling site in the province's southernmost town.

READ: 8 suspek sa ni-raid na POGO hub sa Tarlac, kakasuhan na

"Ang mga POGO marunong nang magpatakbo ng kandidato... Kung merong narcopolitics, meron nang POGO-politics ngayon," Gatchalian said Friday.

(POGOs are now fielding candidates in the Philippines. Aside from narcopolitics, we now have POGO-politics too.)

Earlier this week, the Senate began its inquiry into a massive Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) compound discovered in Bamban, where around 875 workers were rescued, including 432 Chinese nationals, 57 Vietnamese, 8 Malaysians, 3 Taiwanese nationals, 2 Indonesians and 2 Rwandans.

READ: Gatchalian suspects Tarlac town mayor has links to raided POGO

Guo was accused of backing the operation of the gambling site as lawmakers questioned how such businesses in a local town thrived without being detected.

At the Senate hearing, Gatchalian and Sen. Risa Hontiveros grilled Guo about her background, particularly her citizenship, childhood, and education. There, Guo said she has been living in a family farm most of her life and did not have a formal education.

READ: Hontiveros questions nationality of Bamban mayor linked to POGOs

"Parang bula siya na bigla na lang sumulpot dahil yung kanyang mga birth records ay late na lumabas. 'Yung kanyang birth certificate, 17 years old na siya nung nagkaroon ng birth certificate... Hindi rin niya alam kung saan siya pinanganak," Gatchalian said on Friday.

(She came out of nowhere. Her birth was only registered when she was 17 years old. She also didn't know where she was born.)

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said they had not received any petition to prevent Guo from running in the 2022 elections.

"Walang power ang Comelec na mag-motu proprio disqualify ng isang kandidato lalo pa pag pinag-uusapan ang ang issue ng citizenship, residency, registration bilang botante, edad. Kailangan merong magpa-file ng petition to cancel candidacy or disqualify the candidate," Comelec chairman George Garcia explained.

(The Comelec has no power to outright disqualify a candidate especially on the grounds of citizenship, residency, age. Someone has to file a petition to cancel a candidacy.)

Hontiveros had floated the idea that Guo could possibly be a "Chinese agent."

READ: Beijing denies 'Chinese sleeper cells' in PH

"Natuklasan namin na isa sa mga partners niya ay pugante, may warrant of arrest sa China. Nung inaaresto dito sa Pilipinas ay nakatakas dahil 'yung mga villas ay may underground tunnel," Gatchalian said.

(One of her business partners is a Chinese fugitive arrested here but escaped because their villa had an underground tunnel.)

Gatchalian noted how easy it is now to obtain legitimate government documents such as passport and birth certificate, with POGOs now exploiting this loophole.

"Dahil d'yan nakakapasok na sila sa iba't ibang puwesto sa lipunan. Puwede nang tumakbo bilang mayor, bilang politiko. Dahil meron na silang tao sa loob ng sistema, napo-proteksyunan na itong mga POGO," he said.

(Because of that, these individuals can now penetrate sectors of Philippine society. Because they are now in position, they can now protect the POGOs.)

"Tingin ko may money laundering na involved dito."

Gatchalian said the probe into Guo and her alleged China ties would continue.

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