Guo camp to appeal Ombudsman dismissal order

The camp of former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo will be filing a motion for reconsideration over the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman to dismiss her from office, her lawyer said Wednesday.

In a message to reporters, Atty. Stephen David said it was unfortunate that the Ombudsman did not see the merit of Guo’s arguments.

“Nonetheless, we are preparing for the Motion for Reconsideration as a prerequisite for filing an Appeal with rhetorical Court of Appeals,” David said in a message to reporters.

He issued the remark when sought for comment on the Ombudsman order dismissing Guo from service for grave misconduct with forfeiture of all her retirement benefits as well as perpetual disqualification from public office.

The Ombudsman said that Guo’s acts such as her involvement in the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in her locality showed a “willful intent on her part to violate the law or disregard established rules.”

Municipal Councilor Erano Timbang has been tapped to temporarily serve as the town mayor for three months, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said Wednesday.

Timbang was not included in the order because he opposed the issuance of permit to the raided POGO firm in the municipality.

“Konsehal siya ng Sangguniang Bayan. Councilor siya pero nag-oppose nung kinukuha ang permit. Since he opposed, he was absolved or acquitted by the Ombudsman,” Abalos told reporters.

(He is a municipal councilor but he opposed the issuance of permit for the POGO firm. Since he opposed it, he was absolved by the Ombudsman.)

“Siya ngayon ang tatayong mayor for three months, kasi after three months tapos na ang vice mayor, by succession na ‘yan,” he said.

(He would be the acting mayor for three months because the suspension of the vice mayor will end by then.)

Earlier in the day, the Bureau of Internal Revenue filed a tax evasion complaint against Guo. The BIR said that Guo failed to pay P500,000 in taxes.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Commission on Elections also served a subpoena against Alice Guo in relation to the material misrepresentation complaint filed against her.

Comelec representatives visited the address indicated on Guo’s certificate of candidacy as well as her office in Bamban to serve the document as part of the  preliminary investigation on her case. 

Aside from this, Guo is facing a human trafficking complaint in relation to the raided POGO hub before the Department of Justice, which has been submitted for resolution.

She was referred to as “a.k.a Guo Hua Ping” in the complaint. The National Bureau of Investigation confirmed that Guo and Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping have the same fingerprints.

A petition seeking to remove Alice Guo from office has also been filed before a Manila court.—AOL, GMA Integrated News