Comelec: Alice Guo, Guo Hua Ping fingerprints match based on election records

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) recommended the filing of a formal complaint against suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo for allegedly committing material representation in her candidacy in the 2022 national and local elections, Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said Thursday.

Garcia said the recommendation from the Comelec’s law department stemmed from the results of the investigation of a fact-finding committee and experts’ analysis of the fingerprints on Guo’s election records, which matched those of Chinese citizen Guo Hua Ping.

“Ang recommendation ng aming fact-finding panel ay mag-file ng formal complaint laban kay Mayor Guo dahil sa misrepresentation sapagkat napatunayan ng aming mga eksperto na ‘yung anim na fingerprint, dalawa mula sa NBI at kasama po dun ‘yung alien certificate of registration ng isang Guo Hua Ping at ‘yung lima pa na fingerprints ng isang Alice Guo na kumuha ng NBI clearance. At the same time, ‘yung nag-apply ng candidacy, nag-apply na botante sa Bamban, Tarlac, bumoto nung May 2022 elections at bumoto na Alice Guo sa  BSKE noong 2023 ay iisang tao lamang,” the Comelec chief told reporters in an interview.

(Our fact-finding panel recommended the filing of a formal complaint against Mayor Guo for misrepresentation after our experts proved that six fingerprints, two from the NBI and that from the alien certificate of registration of one Guo Hua Ping and the five prints from one Alice Guo when she applied for an NBI clearance. At the same time, the person who applied for candidacy, who applied as a voter in Bamban, Tarlac, who voted in the May 2022 elections and who voted as Alice Guo during the BSKE 2023, is one person.)

“Therefore, dahil iisang tao, dahil Chinese si Guo Hua Ping, ang presumption may misrepresentation ‘yung Alice Guo na siya ay Pilipino. Ang sabi ng aming Law Department at panel, nangangahulugan na hindi sya Pilipino and therefore, dapat siyang kasuhan,” he said.

(Therefore, since this is one person and Guo Hua Ping is a Chinese citizen, there’s a presumption of misrepresentation that Alice Guo misrepresented herself as a Filipino. Our law department and panel has said, she is therefore not a Filipino and therefore, a complaint must be filed against her.)

Garcia, along with Comelec technical experts, earlier visited the town of Bamban to inspect the mayor’s voter registration records, certificate of candidacy in the 2022 May polls, and election day computerized voters list (EDCVL).

“After thorough and extensive scientific examination conducted on the personalized signatures appearing on the voter registration records, Comelec biometrics records, and (Certificate of Candidacy) of Guo, Alice y  Leal as compared to the NBI biometric print-out in the name of Guo, Alice y Leal signatures were found to be one and the same person,” the expert findings read.

The Comelec en banc will counter-check the findings based on the documents presented and determine if there is probable cause to the case, which will warrant a preliminary investigation. Garcia reiterated Guo will be given a chance to respond to the poll body’s decision.

“Hopefully, ‘yung en banc resolution kung ano man mapag-usapan sa bagay na ito.. kahit early part ng next week,” said Garcia.

(Hopefully, the en banc resolution, whatever is decided on this issue…  could be issued next week.)

Under the Omnibus Election Code, Garcia said an individual’s certificate of candidacy may be canceled on grounds of material misrepresentation on age, residency, citizenship, literacy and registration. Violators may also face criminal charges.

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

The 38-year old mayor's citizenship was also questioned due to her inconsistent testimonies about her background and the supposed dubious documents regarding her Filipino citizenship.

Guo is currently in hiding after the Senate issued an arrest order after she repeatedly failed to attend its inquiry on the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in her locality.—RF, GMA Integrated News