Info shows Alice Guo still in the Philippines —DOJ

Information from other agencies show that suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo is still in the Philippines, the Department of Justice said Thursday. 

“Yung whereabouts ni Mayor Guo, meron naman kami, may information mula sa ibang mga ahensya, ‘yung mga kawani, na nandito pa siya sa Pilipinas,” Justice Undersecretary Nicky Ty said in a press briefing.

(As for the whereabouts of Mayor Guo, we have information from other agencies that she is still here in the Philippines.)

The embattled mayor is facing an arrest order from the Senate after she repeatedly failed to attend its inquiry on the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in her locality.

Earlier in June, the Department of the Interior and Local Government filed graft charges against Guo with the Office of the Ombudsman, prompting it to suspend her for up to six months. 

Authorities have also filed a human trafficking complaint with the DOJ against Guo in relation to the POGO hub in Bamban.

Guo did not personally attend the preliminary hearings of the department. She was represented by her lawyers.

Guo’s lawyer, Atty. Stephen David, said his client talked to him on Wednesday night and assured him that she was still in the country.

“Ang assurance niya sa akin na nandito naman siya sa Pilipinas (she assured me that she is still in the Philippines),” he said in an interview on Balitanghali.

Despite this, David said that Guo is unlikely to attend the Senate hearings.

According to Ty, the next preliminary hearing will be held on August 6, where Guo’s camp is expected to file their counter affidavit on the complaint.

Meanwhile, Guo’s citizenship is also being questioned due to her inconsistent testimonies about her background and the supposed dubious documents regarding her Filipino citizenship.

The Office of the Solicitor General has also filed a quo warranto petition against Guo, which may result in her removal from public office.

In July, it filed a petition seeking to cancel Guo’s birth certificate. The OSG earlier said if cancelled, Guo would lose her most important defense evidence about her identity.

Meanwhile, David said the quo warranto petition against Guo is premature, noting that she has a birth certificate.

“May presumption of regularity tayo. Kaya nga nag file sila ng kaso sa Tarlac, pinapa walang bisa ‘yung kanyang birth certificate. Edi dapat antayin muna nila ‘yung resulta noon,” David said.

(There is a presumption of regularity. That’s why they filed a case before Tarlac asking the court to nullify her birth certificate. They should first wait the result on that.)

“Kung totoong hindi siya Pilipino, tsaka sila mag file ng quo warranto (if it’s true that she is not a Filipino, then they can file the quo warranto),” he added.

David said they have yet to receive an official copy of the petition, but that he will file a motion to dismiss.— AOL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News