The Senate takes custody of Shiela Guo on August 26, 2024. Courtesy: Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero.

MANILA (UPDATED) — Shiela Guo, whom the National Bureau of Investigation says is actually a Chinese national named Zhang Mier, was brought on Monday to the Senate, where she will be detained ahead of a hearing on Tuesday.

Guo's hands were cuffed as she was escorted from the NBI vehicle to the Senate detention facility.

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Roberto Ancan said Guo will go through a medical checkup before her detention.

"The process is from NBI, ni-receive namin dito. 'Yung kanyang personal belongings and other things, iche-check namin kung tamang inventory. 'Yung physical condition niya as what the doctor has said (is ok), we also have to check with our medical," Ancan said.

(The process is that we will take custody of her from the NBI. We will check her personal belongings against the inventory, and check her physical condition)

RELATED: Alice Guo may still be in Indonesia; sister faces deportation, cases — BI

He said the Senate will ensure her security, as it does for anyone who will be detained by the upper house.

He added Guo will be allowed to meet with her lawyers.

"Wala siyang cellular phone and she can use our own cellular phone to contact her lawyer," Ancan also said.

He said Guo will be returned to the Senate detention facility after the hearing on Tuesday.

Her release would depend on the Senate Committee on on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality that has been holding hearings on her supposed sister dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Alice Guo and on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.

The panel ordered the arrest of Guo, whom Indonesian immigration authorities "secured" and handed over to their Philippine counterparts, for failing to attend its hearings.

The Senate has limited contempt powers in relation to the legislative hearings it conducts.

READ: No communication with Alice Guo in days, says lawyer

Shiela Guo was also found to have a Chinese passport under a different name and with a different birthdate and faces deportation proceedings.

SHIELA GUO TO COOPERATE WITH SENATE: LAWYER

Meanwhile, lawyer Stephen David visited Shiela Guo in the Senate detention facility, saying he told his client to cooperate with the Senate probe and tell the truth.

David declined to disclose further details, citing lawyer-client privilege but said Guo has nothing to hide.

“Well syempre meron tayong privilege dyan na it’s a lawyer client privilege, pero ang masasabi ko ready sya. Basta ang advice ko magsabi lang sya ng totoo kasi base sa sinabi niya sa akin yung katotohanan yung ang magpapalaya sa kanya,” David told reporters.

“Dapat siya talagang magsalita kasi wala naman siyang tinatago. Pero syempre dahil finilean siya ng kaso, pwede nyang iinvoke yung on certain questions, yung right against self incrimination. Kung wala siyang kaso, wala sanang problema,”

He added: “Sinabi ko nga sa kanya makipag cooperate sya. Kasi ang katotohanan ang magpapalaya sa kanya at naniniwala naman siya sa akin… base doon sa interview naman satisfied naman (ako) na nagsasabi siya ng totoo.”

David also said Alice Guo told him last Thursday in a conversation following the deportation of Shiela and Cassandra Ong that Alice was willing to come out and surrender but he was already unable to contact her after.

David said he has no information on Alice’s whereabouts.

“Actually nag confirm siya sa akin nung Thursday na susuko siya, sana. Kaya lang after that hindi na siya ma contact,” David said.

“Sayang nga e. I want her to face the law, face the court, kasi ang ganda sana ng depensa niya . Syempre kung hindi siya haharap, hindi magagamit ang depensa niya.”

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