Senators warn Alice Guo of legal risks in her mayoral bid

Suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ)

Some senators cautioned Alice Guo that she could encounter further legal issues if she continues to claim Filipino citizenship and violates election laws by attempting to run for mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, in the May 2025 elections.

Guo, who is suspected to be a Chinese citizen named Guo Hua Ping, intends to seek the same position she was removed from in August by the Office of the Ombudsman due to serious misconduct, resulting in a permanent ban from holding public office.

“Guo Hua Ping would be committing an act of material misrepresentation (again) if she fills out her certificate of candidacy (COC) and falsely declares herself to be a Filipino citizen,” Sen. Risa Hontiveros said in a statement.

“The COC is an important document executed under oath. If Guo Hua Ping insists on her lies, a case of perjury may be added to the string of crimes she’s involved in,” Hontiveros said.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian supported her position, adding that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had already determined that Guo, who is now detained at the Pasig City Jail on charges of qualified human trafficking, was ineligible to seek public office for being a foreigner.

That was the reason, he pointed out, the poll body brought a case for material misrepresentation against Guo, whose alleged link to an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) in her town had led to her swift political downfall.

“The Comelec should promptly disqualify her because it already approved a resolution to file charges against Guo because she’s not a Filipino,” Gatchalian told radio dwIZ’s “Usapang Senado” program.

In addition, he said that the Comelec’s fact-finding panel had determined that Guo’s fingerprints on her election documents matched those of Guo Hua Ping.

“It only means that Alice Guo and Guo Hua Ping are the same person,” the senator said. “Foreigners are not allowed to run as mayor or even as official of the barangay council.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has canceled Guo’s Philippine passport after investigations revealed that it was “fraudulently acquired” based on the National Bureau of Investigation’s report on her fingerprints.

‘Perfect time’

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Saturday said the cancellation of Guo’s passport came at an “perfect time” especially because she was a “flight risk” after sneaking out of the country in July.

“DFA’s decisive call to revoke the passport of Guo undoubtedly opened the doors to justice, this marks the beginning of a relentless pursuit to ensure accountability and uphold the rule of law,” Remulla said. The Office of the Solicitor General has also filed a case in the Tarlac Regional Trial Court seeking to cancel her alleged bogus birth certificate.

According to Gatchalian, the election officials should also take judicial notice of the Ombudsman’s Aug. 13 decision that perpetually banned Guo from working in the government by abetting illegal Pogos.

While he acknowledged that it was only “ministerial” for the Comelec to receive Guo’s COC, the constitutional body has the power to automatically prohibit foreigners from joining the country’s electoral process.

“The reported plan of Guo Hua Ping … to run for public office is yet another brazen attempt to undermine the country’s laws,” he said in a separate statement.

Comelec position

Comelec Chair George Garcia on Friday said that the receipt of any COCs did not mean the aspirants’ names would be included in the final list of candidates as there may be challenges against their candidacies.

He said candidates may also be disqualified from running due to an administrative penalty that had been imposed on them.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada appealed to the voters of Bamban to be more circumspect after Guo’s lawyer claimed that many residents of the town were allegedly clamoring for her return as local chief executive.

Guo’s lawyer, Stephen David, has said that she was confident that the cases against her would not hinder her chances of regaining her seat.

Don’t fall for her charm

“Don’t be fooled by the charm of ‘Alice Guo,’” Estrada said in a separate radio interview.

He stressed that the criminal cases against Guo should be pursued even if she wins again as mayor.

Speaker Martin Romualdez urged the Comelec to uphold the integrity of the electoral process to prevent more “Alice Guos” from emerging.

“Each applicant’s qualifications must be rigorously reviewed to ensure they meet the necessary legal requirements. The integrity of our electoral system relies heavily on the credibility of those who seek to hold public office,” he added.

At the same time, he called on Filipinos to “practice discernment” and exercise “perpetual vigilance” in choosing candidates to avoid the “embarrassment” of more Alices in the electoral system.—WITH REPORTS FROM KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING AND JACOB LAZARO INQ