Gatchalian: Alice Guo/Guo Hua Ping used PH, China passports

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is convinced Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and Chinese passport-holder Guo Hua Ping are the same person, who used both Philippine and Chinese passports to travel between 2008 and 2011.

"Dalawang passport niya. Tumigil lang siya lumipad nung 2011," Gatchalian said in a late afternoon news conference at the Senate on Wednesday.

"So, from 2008 to 2011, nakita namin itong dalawang pangalan, si Guo Hua Ping at si Alice Guo, lumilipad at the same time. So, most likely, ginamit niya yung dalawang passport niya," he added.

(She had two passports. She only stopped travelling in 2011. So from 2008 to 2011, we saw the names Guo Hua Ping and Alice Guo traveling at the same time. So, most likely, she used her two passports.)

Gatchalian on Tuesday presented records from the Board of Investments of the Guo family's application for a Special Investors Resident Visa (SIRV). 

It showed that Guo Hua Ping entered the Philippines on January 12, 2003 when she was still 13 years old.

Gatchalian expressed concern over the abuse of late birth registration.

“At ang nakakatakot dito, pwede silang bumili ng lupa. Yan ang shortcut para makabili ng lupa,” the senator said.

(What’s concerning is that they could buy land. That is the shortcut to buy land.)

“Nakakatakot rin yung nangyari dahil with this late registration, nakatakbo, talagang nanalo. Sabi ko nga, naisahan tayo dito dahil nanalo itong kandidato na daladala niyo yung fake birth certificate niya,” he added.

(It is concerning with what is happening in the late registration, Guo even managed to run and win for public office. We were fooled because this candidate, who you brought a fake birth certificate, won.)

Guo's lawyer has denied her involvement to Guo Hua Ping. 

In a phone interview, Atty. Stephen David said that many people are named “Guo Hua Ping” and urged Gatchalian to bring his documents to a proper forum and present his evidence. 

“Kung meron silang matibay na ebidensya na they are one and the same, eh di iprisinta nila sa proper forum para masagot namin. Kasi mahirap sumagot sa mga publicity na ganoon eh,” David said, based on Ivan Mayrina's report on Unang Balita on Wednesday. 

(If they have strong evidence that Alice Guo and Guo Hua Ping are one and the same, they should present it in the proper forum so we can answer. It's hard to respond to a publicity like that.) 

Citing the  Philippine Statistics Authority, Gatchalian said there were 300 irregular cases of late registration in the country, of which more than 60 acquired a passport.  

With the alarming number of late birth registrations, Gatchalian said there is a dire need to reform the issuance of birth certificates.
’Substantial evidence’

In a separate statement, Guo's camp said the suspended mayor is ready to address these allegations by providing "substantial evidence" proving that she is a real Filipino.

"As the current Mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, Mayor Guo acknowledges the paramount importance of her eligibility for office. She stands ready to present substantial evidence supporting her Filipino citizenship, including birth records and affidavits. Her lifelong actions and beliefs as a Filipino citizen affirm her rightful candidacy and tenure in office," the statement released by her lawyers read.

Her lawyer said Guo asserts her Filipino citizenship based on her birthright, cultural ties, and continuous residency in the Philippines, adding that there are community members who are willing to execute affidavits and share their history with Guo.

Furthermore, Guo's lawyer pointed out that China does not recognize dual citizenship, saying that this allegation "runs counter to the fact that she is required, and indeed secured, a Chinese visa as visitor of said country whenever she visits China."

"Mayor Guo welcomes any challenges to her nationality status, property ownership, or eligibility for office in a proper forum with due consideration of her rights and the best interests of the Bamban community," the statement further read.

The embattled mayor earlier said that she is her father's love child with their helper Amelia, who left her when she was still a child.

However, the Philippine Statistics Authority said it had no birth records of Guo's supposed parents.

Guo is at the center of the Senate investigation into the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hub in Bamban, Tarlac after several documents showed that she was personally involved in the processing of documents for its operations.

Guo's citizenship was also questioned due to her inconsistent testimonies about her background and the supposed dubious documents regarding her Filipino citizenship. —NB, GMA Integrated News