Wesley Guo, the brother of former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, is prepared to surrender, according to his lawyer, Atty. Stephen David.
In a statement on Thursday, David revealed that he has been coordinating with government officials to arrange Wesley’s surrender. He mentioned his latest conversation with Wesley occurred on the same day.
“Gusto rin niyang sumuko. Detail hindi ko masasabi. Siyempre dumadating yung point ng isang tao yung nadi-discourage ka diba? Kasi yung mga kasama mo nandiyan na lahat. So human being that we are, dumarating yung point ng kahinaan natin gusto nating humarap. Which is actually yun naman ang dapat gawin eh,” David explained.
(He wants to surrender. I can’t disclose the details. Of course, it reaches a point where one becomes discouraged because all your companions are already back. As humans, we reach moments of weakness and want to face things, which is what should be done.)
David added that Wesley no longer sees the value of hiding. He also clarified that he is unaware of Wesley’s current location.
This development follows the recent arrest of former Mayor Alice Guo in Indonesia. She is scheduled to return to the Philippines on Thursday night, according to a senator. Other members of the Guo family, including Shiela and Cassandra Ong, were detained in Indonesia in late August.
When asked about the possibility of Alice Guo becoming a state witness, David expressed skepticism, stating: “Unang una wala naman siyang ite-testify eh papano siya magiging state witness. Yung allegations sa kanya sasagutin niya yun pero ang state witness kasi kailangan magturo ka ng kung ano ano eh papaano? I don’t see how she can manage on that. Kasi wala siyang participation sa POGO.”
(She doesn’t have anything to testify to, so how could she become a state witness? She will answer the allegations against her, but a state witness needs to point things out. How could she do that when she had no involvement in POGO?)
David believes Guo’s presence in court could strengthen her case. He also recalled his last conversation with her on August 22, during which she expressed her willingness to surrender but voiced concerns for her safety.
“Whether that’s imaginary or real, natatakot siya that’s the reason na-hinder yung decision niya na mag-surrender,” David said.
(Whether her fear is real or imagined, it has hindered her decision to surrender.)