By Brian Jules Campued
Two senators said it is possible that Bamban Mayor Alice Guo may have lied about her purported mother being Filipino as documents show a certain Chinese national named “Lin Wen Yi” lived in the same address as the mayor.
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Thursday cited documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission showing that Guo’s incorporators in at least seven of her businesses included her alleged family members Shiela L. Guo, Siemen L. Guo, and Jian Zhong Guo, as well as a Lin Wen Yi.
The same names were revealed to have the same addresses in a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) document, which the senator also shared.
According to Hontiveros, the BIR document indicated that Lin Wen Yi was born in 1971, which could mean she was only 15 years old when Alice was born and 13 years old when she gave birth to Shiela, who Alice has acknowledged as her sister.
Travel records also show that Jian Zhong Guo and Lin Wen Yi traveled together at least 170 times in six years, which prompted Hontiveros to ask: “business partner lang nga ba o baka asawa talaga?”
In her birth certificate, however, a certain “Amelia Leal” was listed as Guo’s mother — who, the mayor claimed, was a Filipina housekeeper.
Another source said that Guo’s mother was known as “Winnie” to which Hontiveros suggested to be a “Filipinized version” of Lin Wen Yi.
“Bakit kaya sinisikreto? Sino ba itong pamilya na ito? Bakit nakapalibot sa misteryo? We will get to the bottom of this,” the senator added.
Hontiveros’ statement came after Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said that Lin Wen Yi was introduced as Guo’s mother to the residents of Valenzuela during the time they were living in the city.
“Itong taong si [Lin] Wen Yi, parang pinapakilalang nanay niya doon sa mga taga-Valenzuela. Ang personal assessment ko, this might be the biological mother of Alice Guo. So, based on my…tanong-tanong ko, saka yung mga family business niya, itong si [Lin] Wen Yi ay nandoon lahat,” Gatchalian said in a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.
“There’s a big possibility na itong si Amelia Leal is a figment of imagination. Walang ganitong tao. Yung kanyang mother is another person,” he added.
For Sen. Loren Legarda, who grilled Guo during last week’s Senate hearing, the issues surrounding Guo are not only a matter of national concern but could also be “a creeping invasion.”
“It could be creeping invasion. Nakikita natin na hindi naman manggagaling na sa karagatan o sa ere ang mga invasion ngayon. It could be cultural, economic, and this time it’s political,” Legarda said in an interview.
The senator also defended the ongoing hearing of the Senate Committee on Women as the investigation on Guo’s identity and nationality is crucial to uncover developments and revelations tied to national security.
“We’re doing this for the Filipino people, the Filipino nation, upholding our rights as citizens of our beloved country. And this is for everyone’s sake including the Filipino-Chinese community. We’re doing it for everyone.”
Hontiveros, likewise, said that the Senate hearing is not an attack on Filipinos of Chinese heritage, adding that the revelations about Guo came out after being linked to a massive POGO hub raided in her municipality.
“The identity of Mayor Alice’s mother is crucial to this whole saga. Kung Chinese pala ang ina, at Chinese umano ang ama, mapapatunayan na hindi nga talaga Pilipino si Mayor. Kung totoo ito, ang mas malaking tanong: bakit kinailangan niyang magkunwari? Bakit may pagtatago at pagsisinungaling?” she asked.
“Kung nagawang magsinungaling ni Mayor Alice tungkol sa mga kapatid niya, hindi malayong mangyari na tinatago niya rin ang totoong pagkatao ng nanay niya. She has been lying through her teeth the past two hearings. Ang daming imbento, halos wala nang lumalabas na totoo sa bibig niya,” the senator added.
The Senate panel, which Hontiveros chairs, is set to hold an executive session next week to further probe details concerning Guo and the POGO hub in Bamban. (with report from Daniel Manalastas/PTV) – avds
