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FACT CHECK: Alice Guo DID NOT expose Marcos ties to POGO

Mayor Alice Guo has exposed President Bongbong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez for being involved with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.

YouTube channel PINAS NEWS INSIDER 2024-05-30 False

Guo never mentioned anything linking the president, the first lady and the speaker to POGO operations.

Suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo allegedly exposed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for being involved with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), claims a YouTube video. This is not true. Guo never made such an accusation against the president.

Uploaded on May 30, the 20-minute video bore the headline:

KAKAPASOK LANG Exp0se na! Tumistig0 na Mayor Alice Guo Tinur0 na PBBM Liza Tamba huli Nabulab0g POGO

(Just in already exposed! Mayor Alice Guo testified, pointed to PBBM, Liza, Tamba. Caught, POGO was disturbed).”

Its thumbnail bore photos of Marcos, his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and his cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez, along with the text: “MAYOR GUO KUMANTA! DAPAT TONG MALAMAN NG TAONG BAYAN. NABUNYAG NA! TINURO NA (Mayor Guo already revealed! The public needs to know this. Already exposed! Already identified)!”

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: THE FACTS. Mayor Alice Guo did not link President Bongbong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez to POGO operations. The mayor never made such a statement in an ongoing Senate probe into her citizenship and related matters.

Guo never mentioned anything to link the president, first lady and speaker to POGO operations.

In the ongoing Senate probe into her alleged involvement in covert activities, Guo insisted she has no part in the illegal POGO businesses in her town. The local official also denied accusations that she is a Chinese sleeper agent.

The video’s claim was not supported by proof. It only featured comments from netizens questioning Guo’s mysterious background and a previously fact-checked vlogger doubting Marcos’ statement that he does not know the mayor personally.

The video emerged a week after photos of Marcos and Guo together during the 2022 elections circulated online. The president said such a photo “proves nothing” as he routinely posed for pictures with several local candidates during his presidential campaign.

VERA Files recently fact checked multiple erroneous claims involving the controversial mayor (Related FACT CHECK: MISLEADING video of Alice Guo’s ‘sibling’ goes viral, FACT CHECK: Alice Guo’s birth record NOT canceled and FACT CHECK: NO deportation order for Mayor Alice Guo).

Uploaded by YouTube channel PINAS NEWS INSIDER, the untrue video garnered 111,838 interactions. Facebook page EDZIE NEW KING reposted the video, receiving hundreds of views.


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(Editor's Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)