Tarlac Execs Defend Embattled Bamban Mayor Alice Guo
ALICE GUO – Tarlac officials rally behind Bamban Mayor Alice Guo amid controversy.
On Monday night, Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, aged 38, turned to Facebook to clarify her difficulty in responding to personal inquiries during a recent Senate hearing investigating allegations of her being a Chinese agent. She disclosed her upbringing on a hog-raising farm alongside her father, where she remained concealed due to being the result of an affair between him and their housekeeper.
Guo expressed that the Senate’s questions regarding her identity were distressing as she wished to avoid revisiting her past and involving her 70-year-old father, Jian Zhong Guo, in the controversy surrounding her background. While her birth certificate, registered 17 years after her actual birth, identifies her father, who went by the name Angelito, as Filipino, Guo had previously registered him as a Chinese national for her embroidery business.
Alice Guo expressed hope that her Filipino mother would emerge to conclusively refute accusations of her being groomed as a Chinese asset.
Based on a report from Inquirer, Guo is described as an exceptionally kind individual, known for her helpfulness and amiable nature. The president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) in Tarlac province defended Guo, the chapter’s treasurer, amidst accusations against the embattled Bamban mayor of being a Chinese spy.
Mayor Estelita Aquino of Moncada town, the LMP president, emphasized that they have no issues with Guo and highlighted the progress seen in Bamban under her leadership.
Aquino stated that their interactions primarily revolve around official local government matters, expressing confidence that Guo will overcome the negative attention surrounding Tarlac. “We don’t have any problem with her. Progress has come to the sleepy town of Bamban,” she said.
“Every time we see each other, we only talk about what concerns our local government units. We talk about official matters,” she added.
According to the report, Mayor Alice Guo’s vice mayor, Leonardo Anunciacion, expressed disbelief in the basis for the mayor’s suspension recommended by the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Guo is under investigation for her alleged ties to a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hub near Bamban’s municipal hall. Anunciacion expressed discomfort seeing Guo accused of harboring Chinese nationals involved in illegal activities but indicated he wouldn’t oppose her suspension if it were to occur.
He expressed readiness to await further developments, having served as Guo’s predecessor after three terms as Bamban mayor.
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