OSG eyes filing of quo warranto vs Alice Guo before end of July

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is eyeing to file the quo warranto petition against suspended Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo before the end of the month. 

Interviewed during the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said they are just "incorporating" new evidence that "turned up" from the Senate investigation into the supposed illegal operation of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Bamban.

“Evidence keeps on turning up na lalong magappatibay to what we already have. Ini-incorporate na lang namin ang new evidence na nag-turn up sa Senate inquiry at we’re consolidating everything,” Guevarra said.

(More evidence keeps on turning up that strengthens our case. We’re incorporating these and consolidating everything.)

“We’re hoping to file the petition for quo warranto before the end of this month,” Guevarra added. 

Guo, whose Filipino citizenship is being questioned, is being linked to the illegal POGO hub that was raided by authorities in her jurisdiction. She has denied the allegations against her and maintained that she is a Filipino citizen.

Comelec trip to Bamban

Meanwhile, Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the poll body is set to visit Bamban on Thursday, July 25, to obtain documents for the case, including the election day computerized voters list (EDCVL) that contains the details of voters who cast their ballots and their fingerprints.

“Sigurado makakatulong sa OSG kung ano man ang findings ng Comelec sa bagay na ‘yan,” Garcia said. 

(We’re sure our findings will be helpful to the OSG.)

A quo warranto proceeding is a legal remedy to determine a person's right or title to a public office and to oust the holder from its enjoyment.

Guevarra previously said the OSG will file a quo warranto case against Guo “as soon as possible” after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed that she has the same fingerprints as Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping.

The OSG has filed a petition to cancel Guo’s birth certificate on the ground of her failure to comply with the legal requirements for late registration, among others. —KBK, GMA Integrated News