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NewsTranscript
00:00Today, we have a preliminary investigation on the case of human trafficking against suspended Bantarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who is being held in an illegal prison in Pogo.
00:08We will talk to her lawyer, Atty. Stephen DeVee. Good morning and welcome to the Balitang Hali.
00:14Good morning to you, sir Rafi and ma'am Connie.
00:18Yes. First of all, how is your client today?
00:22Well, for now, her stress level is high because she is facing a lot of problems right now.
00:29But her health is fine. She will be able to attend the next hearings in the Senate.
00:36Hopefully. That's what I'm saying. But she will be forced to attend because we don't know when her stress level will go down or go down.
00:46How did you prepare the so-called human trafficking case against your client?
00:52We prepared a counter-affidavit because I believe that there is no basis for human trafficking.
01:05Did you verify if the fingerprint comparison is authentic with the other documents issued by the NBI against your client?
01:14Not yet. We have a process to verify that. First of all, if they think that the evidence against Mayor Alice Guo is strong,
01:25they will present it to the city. That's when we will know. That's when I will be able to confront the documents of Julie Executed, Balita and where it came from.
01:35Right now, I haven't seen those documents on social media. It's hard to comment about that.
01:42But there will come a time when we will be able to confront if it's authentic. But right now, it's premature for us to comment if those documents are authentic.
01:53Based on your last conversation with your client, what is his reaction to the evidence issued by the NBI regarding his sister?
02:02Of course, we are preparing for the court cases that we will confront. More or less, those are the cases that they will file.
02:10Right now, the only cases that were filed are the Ombudsman and human trafficking. Of course, we are preparing for all of those.
02:19As for the sisters, I don't know. First of all, we haven't talked to his sisters. I don't know the sisters who are saying that, if they are his real sisters or not.
02:31But did he react to you? What is his reaction to the news that was released?
02:38Of course. He's saying that his sister is his mother's sister. But the other news that was released, he's not saying that she's his sister.
02:52Will he accept it?
02:53I'm sorry, he's talking to his father. His father is his sister.
02:58Will Mayor Goh accept the opportunity to reveal everything that he knows, in exchange for a lower punishment? Did you talk to him about this?
03:07We haven't talked to him about this because what you're saying, sir Rafi, is a state community.
03:15First of all, he cannot testify in POGO. He's not involved in the POGO operation.
03:22With more reason, he doesn't know about human trafficking. How can he know? He's a mayor. He's not involved in that.
03:34Some people are saying that your client is a possible flight risk. What is your reaction to this?
03:40Well, that's their opinion. We are all entitled to our own opinions. But if that's the case, he should have fled long ago.
03:51Just like other POGO operators who are involved in Sun Yuen and Honshin, they were not found.
04:04He fled. He's not a flight risk. He's not a flight risk. He's just facing the Senate.
04:13But you're in constant communication with your client and he's ready to defend and defend what he said in the Senate.
04:23Yes. We talked yesterday.
04:26As of yesterday, you talked to him.
04:29We don't have a choice. He's ready to defend.
04:34Mayor, did he agree with you because of the people who read this?
04:38Because the first hearing was about POGO and he went to his personality and questioned his citizenship.
04:45Actually, Rafi, you know what, I met Mayor Andres in April.
04:50I met him in April for the first time. The case that they brought to us, we know the case and we are handling it.
05:01The possibility that he might be involved in the POGO operation, because POGO is involved, POGO is the investigation in the Senate and the ombudsman cases.
05:11Now, we're wondering why the crusade against him became personal.
05:17Even to his family, what's the connection if there's illegal POGO operation and human trafficking.
05:27What's the connection to his siblings who are allegedly connected to him and what's the connection to his citizenship that he's being questioned.
05:37It's too far from our issues.
05:41Just to be clear, it's not clear if he can attend the hearings in the Senate because you said his stress level is high.
05:48Yes. Although I advised him to attend, but I can't force him if his body can't take it.
05:55His body can't take it. You know sir, the trauma that he's experiencing.
06:00Whether you can shout in the Senate, you're the mayor, it's like nothing.
06:05Because in the eyes of the Senate, in their eyes, the senators said that they're convinced that he's involved in this.
06:15He's not a resource person anymore. He's already an accused.
06:21We have a conclusion. He's not a resource person anymore. He should be a resource person.
06:29Let's wait and see if he can attend the next hearings.
06:34Thank you very much for your time this afternoon.
06:37Thank you.
06:39Thank you, Atty. Stephen David, lawyer of Mayor Alice Guo.
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