Guo: Trial by publicity?
IT’S hilarious that in two “selfies,” dismissed Tarlac town mayor Alice Guo pricked the huge balloon Sen. Risa Hontiveros had inflated for four months to portray her to the public as a criminal, undertaking serious crimes through her Philippine overseas gaming operators (POGOs) in cooperation with deadly Chinese organized crime syndicates based in China. It’s again another testament to the power of ubiquitous smartphones with cameras and social media.
Indeed, everyone expected Guo to appear after her apprehension in Indonesia and repatriation here to be despondent and with unkempt hair. Instead she appeared to have her hair recently done and dyed by a good hairdresser. Worse, in her “selfies” with the arresting NBI officers, with Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos and police chief Rommel Marbil, Guo looked more like a celebrity, grinning ear to ear beside the two officials, the fingers of both hands in the v-gesture. She was nice-looking, her eyeglasses suggesting innocence.
That the two selfies demolished Hontiveros and others’ portrayal of her as a criminal (and even a spy for China) is evident in the social media comments on these, which mostly criticized our officials’ handling of the arrest but didn’t censure her.
The selfies have started to make people question Hontiveros’ and the government’s intense operations against her. There certainly haven’t been as many furious operations to capture former jail chief Gerald Bantag, accused of killing the hard-hitting broadcast journalist Percy Lapid, or in the case of former congressman Arnolfo Teves, the alleged mastermind in the killing of governor Roel Degamo and nine other innocent people. Why?
This has started me thinking that while evidence may later indeed prove Go to be a criminal, so far, it has been more of a trial by publicity, mainly the result of Hontiveros’ inexplicable crusade against her through televised Senate hearings.
I asked the artificial intelligence (AI) software ChatGPT about this. ChatGPT, which I have recently been studying for its value in my work, and other similar AI scour the internet at unbelievable speed to study an issue and evaluate it through this amazing new technology called AI. It even responds to criticisms about its statements. Of course, it’s not always accurate and even makes mistakes, but still, it evaluates practically the stock of information stored on the internet. (GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer that can process our natural human language and generate a response.)
I asked ChatGPT: Is Alice Guo a victim of “trial by publicity”?
ChatGPT: Alice Guo could be seen as a potential victim of trial by publicity due to the intense media coverage and public scrutiny surrounding her case. Several factors contribute to this perception, primarily the extensive media attention her case has received. From the moment she fled the country, accused of human trafficking, money laundering, and involvement in the illegal POGO (Philippine offshore gaming operator) industry, her story has been heavily covered in both traditional and online media. Reports often focus on controversial aspects, such as her alleged alias, “Guo Hua Ping,” sparking public intrigue and debate. This has created an environment where public opinion can be swayed by media framing, making it difficult for her to receive a truly unbiased trial.
Scrutiny
Moreover, public scrutiny and statements by officials have intensified this trial by publicity. High-profile figures, including members of the Department of Justice and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, have openly questioned her credibility. For instance, some officials have accused her of fabricating claims about receiving death threats, further casting doubt on her innocence and influencing public perception without waiting for the full presentation of evidence in court.
The Senate hearings and public investigations have also played a significant role in shaping how the public views her case. Guo’s avoidance of these hearings, combined with the issuance of an arrest warrant when she failed to appear, fueled media coverage, giving investigators and senators a platform to publicly discuss the charges against her before any court ruling. This public airing of accusations has entrenched the notion of guilt in many people’s minds, even before a fair legal process has taken place.
These dynamics align with the phenomenon of perceived guilt before trial, which is common in high-profile cases in the Philippines. Media coverage and public discourse can overshadow legal processes, painting individuals like Guo as guilty before they have the opportunity to defend themselves in court.
Guo’s legal team has worked to counter this narrative, appealing for a fair trial and denying the allegations. However, the sheer volume of negative press and public discourse often drowns out their efforts. This imbalance suggests that her defense strategy must focus as much on countering public opinion as it does on addressing the legal issues.
In sum, the heavy media exposure and public comments by officials have placed Guo in a position where she is defending herself not only in court but also in the ‘court of public opinion,’ a key aspect of trial by publicity. This can challenge her ability to receive a fair, impartial trial where evidence is evaluated solely in a court of law rather than in the court of public opinion.”
Me: Other than the warrant of arrest against her issued by the Senate committee because of her refusal to attend its hearings, what arrest warrants have been issued against her?
ChatGPT: The arrest warrant against Guo, issued [hours] after she was apprehended in Indonesia and brought back to the Philippines, was based on a single specific allegation under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019). This involved violations of Sections 3(E) and 3(H) of the Act, which typically relate to corrupt practices by public officials in the performance of their duties.
The specific charges against Alice Guo under Section 3(E) and Section 3(H) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) relate to corrupt practices commonly committed by public officials. Here’s a breakdown:
Section 3(E) pertains to causing undue injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party unwarranted benefits, advantages, or preferences in the discharge of official functions. This can involve decisions made in bad faith, gross negligence, or the granting of favors or contracts that result in damage or loss to the public or government.
Section 3(H) prohibits a public official from directly or indirectly having financial or pecuniary interest in any business, contract, or transaction in connection with which the official intervenes or takes part in their official capacity. This means that a public official cannot use their position to benefit personally from business dealings related to their duties.
In Guo’s case, these charges likely involve her alleged misuse of her position as mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, to either grant favors or have a personal financial interest in the operations of businesses like the POGO hub. The court found enough preliminary evidence to issue the warrant under these specific violations.
Me: What was the preliminary evidence found?
ChatGPT: The preliminary evidence found against Guo is centered around her alleged involvement in corrupt practices as a public official. Some of the key pieces of evidence include:
Financial and business interests: Evidence was found that suggested Guo had financial interests in certain businesses, particularly in connection with the POGO hub operating in Bamban, Tarlac. These interests were allegedly tied to her official position.
Undue advantage and injury to the government: Preliminary findings indicated that Guo, in her capacity as mayor, may have granted unwarranted benefits or advantages to private parties, which caused undue injury to the government or other parties. This was seen as a violation of Section 3(E), which prohibits public officials from using their position to benefit certain individuals or businesses at the expense of the public interest.
Additionally, reports mentioned that electricity bills and other records tied to the POGO hub were linked to her, further implicating her involvement in illegal operations while holding public office.
These initial findings were sufficient for authorities to issue a warrant for her arrest under these specific provisions of the law.
Me: Has it been proven that the POGO hub engaged in illegal activities banned by Philippine regulations on POGO operations?
ChatGPT: As of now, that has not been definitively proven in court. The legal process is still ongoing, and a final judicial determination on the legality of the POGO hub’s activities has yet to be made. The investigation into Guo’s connection with these illegal operations continues, and more details.
This barrage of charges, however, is typical of a government operation to pin down a target by whatever means. These cases may take years to prove.
In the meantime, what happens to Guo’s assets? Going by photos of her POGO hub which is a complex of five-story buildings, going by the report that she has 34 cars, and her ability to win as mayor in an elections, her net worth could be at least a billion pesos. With charges that she falsified her Filipino citizenship, Guo may likely have been merely an astute businesswoman who bought lands on which a POGO hub was built under government regulations. She, therefore, according to rumors, would be an easy target for the vilest of government “investigators” shaking her down. Or, before the hearings went so out of control for President Marcos to order the closure of all POGOs, she was merely the target of another POGO syndicate wanting her hub. Lawyer Ferdie Topacio, who lawyers for a Guo associate, recently issued photos of Marcos in a pose and in a bus, indicating his closeness to a major POGO operator, allegedly Rainer Tiu. Also in the two photos was Jose Ortega, reportedly a longtime friend of Marcos and a director of Pagcor, which issues licenses to and regulates Pagcor.
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Guo: Trial by publicity?
Source: Breaking News PH
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