Alice Guo’s lawyer asks Comelec for extension on counter-affidavit vs. subpoena

The legal counsel of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo on Thursday asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for a ten-day extension to file a counter-affidavit against a subpoena it issued.

In a three-page motion, Stephen David requested that the deadline be moved from August 23, Friday, to September 1.

“The above-mentioned case requires comprehensive research and study as well as material time to have the complete facts and circumstances of the case and to ventilate the arguments of the respondent effectively and properly,” said David.

“Additionally, heavy pressure of work and equally important prior commitments on the part of the undersigned counsel makes it more difficult to file the required counter-affidavit within the prescribed period,” he added.

Comelec representatives formally served Guo a subpoena on August 13 in relation to the material misrepresentation complaint filed against her. 

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

Poll chief George Erwin Garcia said Guo was given ten days or until August 23 to file a counter-affidavit but the period of filing was moved to August 27 due to public holidays. 

“Hanggang sa kasalukuyan, walang pumupunta para mag-file ng counter-affidavit…Maghihintay kami sapagkat kikilos ang law department namin base sa kung nag-submit ba or hindi,” Garcia told reporters in an ambush interview. 

(We have yet to receive a counter-affidavit but we’ll wait.)

“In either case, mag-file man o hindi, may corresponding action na gagawin ang aming law department at ‘yung action na ‘ayn kinakailangan na maipadala sa Comelec en banc para mapag-usapan namin kung ano ang final recommendation ng aming department,” he said. 

(Our law department will conduct a corresponding action whether they file or not. That action will be forwarded to the Comelec en banc for us to discuss our final recommendation.)

Earlier, Garcia said the Comelec would continue its preliminary investigation against Guo despite her alleged departure from the country.

This came after the Comelec en banc approved the recommendation of its law department to file a motu proprio complaint against Guo for material misrepresentation. — BM, GMA Integrated News