SC upholds Senate subpoena vs. Alice Guo

The Supreme Court (SC) announced Friday that it upheld the subpoena issued by a Senate committee requiring dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo to testify.

Last year, the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality conducted an inquiry into the alleged illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities in Bamban and required Guo’s presence.

In July 2024, Guo asked the SC to annul and set aside the subpoena.

The last Senate hearing was held in November 2024.

In a statement, the SC said the committee hearings followed the 1987 Constitution and the Senate Rules of Procedure.

The SC said that Guo’s rights were not violated and the inquiry was a legitimate exercise of legislative power to protect public interest and uphold the law.

It cited Article VI, Section 21 of the Constitution, which states that the Senate and its committees can conduct inquiries in aid of legislation, provided that the established rules are followed and the rights of persons involved are respected.

“The SC found that the Committee’s investigation into illegal POGO operations in Bamban, Tarlac was within its authority. The questions asked about Guo’s identity, family, relationships, assets, and businesses were relevant and necessary to the inquiry,” it said in a statement.

Further, the SC said that Guo was invited as a resource person and not an accused.

“On privacy concerns, the SC noted that public officials have a limited expectation of privacy when their actions involve official functions or matters of national interest,” it said.

“Documents such as Guo’s birth certificate, SALNs, and business records were essential to the investigation and thus lawfully disclosed, even under the Data Privacy Act of 2012,” it added.

Contempt 

Meanwhile, the SC affirmed that citing individuals for contempt is a part of the Senate’s legislative powers.

In a statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, welcomed the ruling, saying it strengthens the Senate’s ability to uncover truth in matters of public interest. 

“The decision reaffirms what the Constitution clearly provides: that legislative inquiries in aid of legislation—when conducted under our established rules—are a vital tool for accountability and the creation of policies which protect public interest and guard our nation’s sovereignty,” she said.

“Once final, this decision will affirm the Supreme Court’s regard for the balance of powers of the three branches of government —a principle that should undergird our democracy, even in troubled times,” she added.

Guo is facing a qualified trafficking case before a Pasig court, a graft case before a Valenzuela court, and a material misrepresentation case before a Tarlac court. 

A quo warranto petition was also filed against Guo with a Manila court, as well as a petition to cancel her birth certificate before a Tarlac court. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News