Grade school classmates recall Guo Hua Ping from class photos

Former pupils of a Quezon City private school remember a classmate from their early elementary years named Guo Hua Ping, the name of the Chinese citizen whom the National Bureau of Investigation said is the same person as Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.

According to Darlene Cay's report on "24 Oras," two graduates of the Grace Christian High School remembered their classmate Hua Ping after the name cropped up in the Senate inquiry on the alleged illegal activities at the Philippine offshore gaming operation (POGO) in Bamban.

The presence of a pupil who resembled Guo in class pictures from 2000 to 2003  also matched what Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said were the years she attended the school, now known as Grace Christian College.

Gatchalian said Guo also submitted a birth certificate from China.

Contrary to what Guo told the Senate committee that she grew up on a farm and was homeschooled by a "Teacher Rubilyn," the school is in Quezon City and had no teacher by that name.

“Naalala ko lang bigla may Hua Ping po ako na classmate noong Grade 2. Pag-uwi ko po sa bahay, sinearch ko yung class picture namin. Tapos, parang ang galing kasi may resemblance nga siya,” a classmates told GMA Integrated News.

(I suddenly remembered I had a classmate named Hua Ping in Grade 2. When I went home, I looked for our class photo. Then, I’m amazed that they do have a resemblance.)

The male classmate said Hua Ping seemed older than the others in the class.

“Parang ilang years, three years, four years older siya kasi isa rin siya sa pinakamatangkad na girls. Bukod sa tangkad niya, mas mature siya kumpara sa class namin,” the classmate said.

(It seems she is three to four years older since she is one of the tallest girls in our class. Aside from being tall, she looked more mature than the rest of our class.)

The male classmate said Hua Ping had difficulty communicating in Filipino or English, but she was fluent in Chinese.

“'Yung Chinese accent niya before talagang mas makapal kumpara ngayon na kaya na niya mag-Tagalog. Pero noong naalala ko, parang barok, talagang putol-putol,” the male classmate said.

(Her Chinese accent before is thick compared to her accent now, where she can speak Tagalog. But I remember before, she had difficulty speaking in Tagalog.)

“Doon sa mga naging teachers namin noong elementary, parang wala namang Rubilyn,” he added.

(Among our teachers before, I do not recall someone named Rubilyn.)

Guo’s class photos were also compared by another classmate after it went viral online.

“Nagkataon na nag-scroll ako ng Facebook. sabi ko ba't parang familiar. Hinanap ko sa bahay yung class pictures ko ng Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3 kasi naitago ko pa siya. And nakita ko, yun pala yung parehong picture. So nakita ko na classmate ko pala siya ng grade 1. Tapos nakita ko, tsinek ko din yung  ibang class pictures ko. And pati Grade 2 pala, classmate ko din siya,” the female classmate said.

(I happened to be scrolling on Facebook when I saw that the photo was familiar. Then, I looked for my class photos when I was in Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 in our house since I was able to keep them. And I found that the photos were similar. I found that she was my classmate in Grade 1. Then I checked my other class photos and saw she was also my classmate in Garde 2.)

GMA Integrated News went to Grace Christian College for the comment of its officials but was barred from entering the Village. —Celine Serquiña/NB, GMA Integrated News