It seems that the kind treatment by the senate on suspended mayor Alice Guo was the beacon for her to evade the delayed issuance of arrest warrant. The tactical move of using her unwell condition to justify her absence from subsequent senate hearings had good precedents from former presidents Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
The two former presidents suddenly got ill when ordered jailed, getting luxurious hospital accommodation under the best physicians who failed to treat their ailments. The two former presidents enjoyed their confinement in luxurious accommodation and their unhealed condition that their doctors failed to cure.
The suspended mayor begun declaring that she is suffering purportedly from trauma and hypertension. Such claim could be checked by government physicians of the senate, unfortunately, the suspended mayor could no longer be found for her illness to be verified.
Attempts to locate the suspended mayor had been futile. The raid aimed to nab the suspended mayor resulted in the arrest of her accountant only. It would take more surveillance efforts by the authorities in order to pinpoint the lair where the suspended mayor is hiding. Despite assertions of her lawyers that the suspended mayor is just sick and is not hiding, there are no indications that the authorities would succeed in arresting her.
The public is waiting for developments as government authorities had issued warnings on all ports of exit to ensure that the suspended mayor would not be able to get out of the country. A hold departure order had reportedly been issued in order that the suspended mayor could be nabbed by the authorities once spotted in any port. These measures are made in reaction to the sudden disappearance following the order for her arrest. But if her illegal acts of subverting the country’s late registration system as well as existing election laws would be taken as indicator of her capacity to subvert our laws, it could end up in the power of money dictating the outcome.
In a recent interview, her lawyer disclosed that he advised the suspended mayor to surrender to the authorities as she could not be hiding forever. This statement contradicts the previous where the lawyer asserted that the suspended mayor is not in hiding. If the advice is heeded, the authorities would be relieved of the unnecessary time, efforts and expenses to arrest the suspended mayor. Indeed, it is the most practical thing to do, for the suspended mayor to surrender and face the consequences of her actions.
The need for her to remain influential is to retain her post through reelection. She could only do that if she is able to defend herself, mainly, the cancellation of her certificate of live birth which would result in her true identity as Chinese citizen. That would disqualify her from running for elective office. But if she choses to use the gargantuan money that slipped notice from government authorities, then she could easily as she had done now, just slip.
comments to alellema@yahoo.com
