‘Undoubtedly Chinese': Manila court voids Alice Guo's mayorship
Former Bamban mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, attends a Senate hearing on September 9, 2024. REUTERS/ Eloisa Lopez
A Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) has ruled that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is 'undoubtedly Chinese' and deemed her mayorship 'void.'
In a 67-page quo warranto decision, Judge Liwliwa S. Hidalgo-Bucu of the Manila RTC Branch 34 stated that Guo Hua Ping and Alice Guo are one and the same person.
During a Senate inquiry, Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed that the National Bureau of Investigation found that Guo Hua Ping and Alice Guo have the same fingerprints, but their relation with one another was denied by the dismissed Bamban mayor's legal counsel.
Respondent Guo Hua Ping is undoubtedly a Chinese citizen, born to Chinese parents, namely Guo Jian Zhong and Lin Wenyi. She and her parents are holders of Chinese passports,' the decision read.
It further explained that Guo's Philippine passport is not considered a 'conclusive proof of citizenship,' just like her birth certificate.
'The Certificate of Live Birth of Alice Leal Guo contains dubious entries, which are not supported by concrete and credible evidence,' the decision read.
Guo's arrest came after she faced several accusations, including having a fake identity, being a Chinese spy and being involved in a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) syndicate.
She claimed she was a Filipino citizen and denied her involvement in illegal POGO operations.
With the court's decision on Guo's citizenship, it not only concluded that she is disqualified to hold the position as Bamban mayor but is also prevented from running for the said position in the first place.
'Guo is nothing more but a usurper of the Office of the Mayor of Bamban, Tarlac. The fact that she won the election and has already assumed office is of no moment as it did not cure her disqualification of lack of Philippine citizenship,' the decision read.
'Her disqualification was already existing at the time of the filing of her Certificate of Candidacy. It follows, therefore, that her proclamation was deemed void,' it added.
In August 2024, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of Guo for grave misconduct. —RF, GMA Integrated News
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