Comelec Panel Suggests Filing of Misrepresentation Complaint vs. Mayor Alice Guo over Identity Issue
ALICE GUO – The camp of the suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor reacted to the “misrepresentation” complaint that Comelec is planning to file.
It has been more than a week now since the Senate released an arrest order against suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Guo. However, the suspended Mayor has yet to be located by the authorities.
The authorities reportedly visited all the registered addresses of Mayor Guo but they were not able to serve the arrest order due to negative presence. They also visited the farm and the garments factories of Guo but failed to locate the suspended Mayor.
Guo is not only facing accusations of her alleged involvement in the Philippine Offshore Gaming operations (POGOs) in her town but as well as questions about her identity. Her fingerprints matched with Chinese national Guo Hua Ping’s fingerprints according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Guo Hua Ping is a Chinese national who entered the country in 2003. During the previous hearings that she attended, Mayor Alice Guo claimed that she is a Filipino. However, her claims such as she was homeschooled sparked only more questions regarding her identity.
The Office of the Solicitor General has filed a quo warranto petition against Mayor Guo. If granted, she might be ousted from her post as the mayor of Bamban, Tarlac.
The Commission on Election (COMELEC) law department also suggested the filing of material misrepresentation complaint against Mayor Alice Guo. It is in line with the findings that her fingerprints matched with the fingerprints of a Chinese national which suggests that they are the same person.
Recently, the camp of Mayor Alice Guo reacted to the suggestion of a Comelec panel to file a misrepresentation content against the suspended mayor. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, the Mayor’s camp stressed that she has documents proving her Filipino identity.
Guo’s lawyer, Attorney Stephen David, stressed that his client has a valid birth certificate as well as passport so there is a “presumption that she’s a Filipino”. According to the lawyer, whatever happens, if she has a valid birth certificate and passport, she is a Filipino.
The camp of Mayor Alice Guo tagged the move of the Comelec as “premature”. Based on the article, David also expressed that the suspended Mayor has yet to meet the people who are linked to her in her alleged POGO involvement.
“In the interest of fair play, sana mabigyan naman kami ng opportunity, our day in court, para ma-examine namin ‘yung mga ganyan,” the lawyer said.