THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has ordered the filing of charges against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo over alleged material misrepresentation in her certificate of candidacy during the 2022 national and local elections.
The Comelec en banc, in a resolution approved on September 26, 2024, ordered its law department to file charges against Guo before the proper Regional Trial Court for violation of Section 74 in relation to Section 262 of the Omnibus Election Code.
“Based on the evidence presented, including the dactyloscopy report from the NBI revealing matching fingerprint patterns, as well as the ERSD’s signature examination report and dactyloscopic report, there are significant similarities in the signature and fingerprint specimens of the respondent and Hua Ping Lin Guo. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that respondent and Hua Ping Lin Guo are likely one and the same individuals,” the resolution read.
“Withal, it is clear from the evidence presented by complainant that there is a sufficient ground to believe that respondent committed material misrepresentation in violation of section 74 of the OEC in relation with section 262 of the same Code, when she declared in her COC that is a Filipino citizen and a resident of Bamban, Tarlac, when in truth and in fact, she is not,” it added.
Guo is in hot water over her alleged involvement in the raided illegal Pogo hub in Bamban, which also triggered the Office of the Ombudsman to dismiss her from the service for grave misconduct.
She is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail over charges of qualified human trafficking, which stemmed from the rescue of hundreds of undocumented foreign workers in the illegal Pogo hub.
Meanwhile, during the resumption of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality inquiry into the raided illegal Pogo hub in Bamban, Guo said she will no longer seek reelection in the 2025 elections amid the cases filed against her.
“Your honor, haharapin ko po muna ‘yung mga accusations po sa akin, linisin ko po muna ‘yung sarili ko po. And para maging fair din po para sa mga constituents ko po na minamahal ko po,” she said.
(Your honor, I will deal with the accusations against me first; I will clean myself first. And to be fair to my constituents whom I love.)
She also denied being a Chinese spy as claimed by detained self-proclaimed Chinese spy She Zhijiang.
Guo maintained that she does not know Zhijiang.
“Tingin ko po baka gusto lang din niya ng media mileage ko po ngayon kasi sobrang taas ng media mileage ko po ngayon. Possible po,” she said.
(I think maybe he just wants my media mileage right now because my media mileage is too high right now. It’s possible.)
“Kaya hihingi din po ako ng tulong po sa inyo. Tulungan niyo po ako mag-imbestiga. Hindi po ako spy at para naman po hindi ako magmukhang kawawa talaga,” she added.
(So I will also ask for your help. Please help me investigate. I’m not a spy and I don’t want to look really poor.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
