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Lawmakers back filing of case vs Guo

By Nidz Godino

“This is blatant already, this Bamban Mayor Alice Guo…based on her answers, we must look if she is really  Filipino…she should not be mayor if she cannot prove her Filipino citizenship… only proper that she be removed as mayor,” Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. of Manila said  plan of  Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to file  quo warranto case against Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban town in Tarlac got  backing of two members of  House of Representatives.

Quo  warranto is  legal remedy that is used to challenge  person’s rights to hold  public or corporate office.

At  briefing, Reps. Abante and Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur declared  imperative to ensure  public servants fulfill all  requirements for holding public office.

According to Abante, Guo should be stripped of mayorship if it is proven that she is not  Filipino.

Guo is facing investigation at  Senate for her alleged involvement in illegal operation of POGOs in the province.

Her identity as  Filipino is being questioned as her responses concerning her birth and family background were vague.

Abante noted  important to verify Guo’s Filipino citizenship as he expressed concerns over her “potential foreign influence.”

“China does not only want to control West Philippine Sea, but  entire Philippines and even universities,” he maintained, apparently referring to influx of Chinese students near  Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in Cagayan province.

For his part, Adiong underscored  importance of preserving  integrity of  electoral process and protecting  rights of natural-born Filipinos. “OSG just wanted to protect our electoral processes which should be for … Filipinos,” he said.

Adiong raised personal concerns regarding  citizenship acquisition process, particularly its apparent inconsistencies and inefficiencies. He sought  comprehensive review of local registry procedures.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has been conducting  probe on Guo in connection with both issue on her citizenship, as well as  controversial POGO hub in her town.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos said  as early as April 5, he had ordered  creation of  task force to probe any possible administrative misconduct or neglect by LGU officials in connection with  illegal POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac.

Benjamin Zaballa, chief operations audit division of  Internal Audit Service, was tasked to lead  task force.

Task force was ordered last May 10 to also conduct fact-finding on concerns regarding  citizenship and eligibility for public office of Guo.

“We already created task force way back in April.;;anytime, everything will come out…this is recommendatory for  ombudsman…all actions, very comprehensive what happened…on permits and second on citizenship,” he said.

He said all findings are recommendatory and will be forwarded to  Office of the President and  Office of the Ombudsman as soon as they are available.

Abalos said they do not have any power to suspend or dismiss Guo as only two offices have that authority.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.backed further investigation on Guo, citing  ongoing Senate probe, as he added that Tarlac politicians do not know her.

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said  they are also gathering information to determine if Guo is illegally “holding or exercising  public office.”

Guo need her mother to come out.to finally settle questions on her nationality,  camp of  embattled mayor is appealing for her biological mother to step forward.

“If you are the mother… if you really love your daughter, come out…your daughter is going through this…you’re the only one who can say that she is your daughter,” Guo’s lawyer Stephen David said.

Guo, in an earlier interview claimed she was born out of wedlock. Her biological mother, she said, was  kasambahay or helper of her Chinese father. She also claimed that her mother left her after she was born.

The mayor’s claim regarding her mother’s identity was contrary to  contents of her birth certificate,  registered late with  Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

It identified her parents as Angelito Guo and Amelia Leal, who were supposedly married and had two other children.

PSA official earlier told senators that Leal does not have existing records with PSA.

Asked about  possible falsification of documents, David said  Bamban mayor cannot be held criminally liable as she was not the one who registered her birth at PSA.

“What she knows is that she is  daughter of her father’s helper… but  birth certificate in question, who submitted that… she did not submit it, she has no participation in that regard, so how can she have any criminal liability?” added  lawyer.

Guo’s father, whom the mayor confirmed to be  Chinese national, reportedly was the one who registered  mayor’s birth when she was 17 years old. He will be invited to the next Senate hearing.

During  interview, David support for Senate’s plan to summon others involved in the matter, as well as to hold  executive session in  next hearing.

Guo’s lawyer  have not received any formal communication regarding possible cases against mayor.

He also confirmed plans to file charges against those who are making “below the belt” claims, such as those claiming to be Guo’s father or siblings.

“When you malign  reputation of someone, even if she is being accused of something, that is not fair because she is not yet charged before  court,” said David.

Guo will run for reelection in 2025, stressing that her constituents should have say on the issue regarding their mayor.

Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) stalwart Senator Sherwin Gatchalian wants Mayor Guo expelled from  party over her alleged ties to money laundering and syndicates.

“Personally  based on what I am seeking my take is that she should be expelled from NPC because of her ties to illegal POGO,” Gatchalian said during  Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum referring to Philippine offshore gaming operators.

Gatchalian made this call as he detailed Guo’s alleged dealings with fugitives in setting up offshore gaming hub in her town.

Her ties to criminal syndicates should be enough reason to kick her out of NPC, which she only joined as mayor because it was ruling party in Tarlac, said Gatchalian, member of  NPC advisory council.

Guo ran as an independent in 2022.

“I will air my views as  member of  advisory council and stress  importance of maintaining integrity as members of NPC…keeping her would set  bad precedent because she is not the type of member we want for our party,” Gatchalian said.

“It is important for members to have  high level of integrity and  good moral conduct, by not being involved in this kind of criminality,” he added.

The senator also sounded  alarm about  possibility that Guo’s family of companies could have been used for money laundering, citing  Guo family farm and embroidery business which have good cash flow despite not making income.

“We did  lot of research in expanding our investigation to look into money laundering…we estimate that it took P6.1 billion to invest in 10-hectare property with 37 buildings…where did that money come from?” Gatchalian said.

Guo’s alleged involvement in other crimes would be tackled in  Senate’s next executive session hearing, Gatchalian said.

POGO businesses of  Chinese businessmen in the Philippines may have other agenda, according to former national defense chief Norberto Gonzales.

“We don’t know, there may be another hidden agenda behind POGO operations in the Philippines… Chinese are known to be good at strategy,” Gonzales said.

His statements came as  Senate is also investigating Mayor Guo for her alleged involvement in POGO operations of Chinese nationals in her hometown.

Reported  POGO in Bamban, Tarlac has turned into  hub for those involved in online love scam, crypto scam and all other scamming, based on reports received by government authorities, prompting  Presidential Anti-Organized Crime to conduct  raid into  so-called “mini BGC” in Bamban town.