Comelec OKs Guo's request for extension to file counter-affidavit

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved the request of the camp of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo for an extension to file her counter-affidavit on the subpoena filed against her.

“Automatically binibigay natin. Pinagbibigyan po natin ang lahat ng respondents sa ganiyan dahil criminal case naman ito, ayaw nating maging mahigpit,” Comelec chair George Erwin Garcia said Tuesday. 

(We approve that automatically. We allow respondents to do that because this is a criminal case.)

“Pero kung manghihingi pa muli ng panibagong extension, baka naman hindi na talaga dapat, without prejudice sa decision ng law department natin," he added,

(But if they will ask for another extension, then maybe we should not allow that.)

Last week, lawyer Stephen David, Guo’s legal counsel, asked the poll body for a ten-day extension to file a counter-affidavit and requested the deadline be moved from August 27, Friday, to September 1.

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

Garcia said the dismissed mayor 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. 

“Hinihintay natin kung makakapag-file sila...Ang tanong darating ba si Mayor Alice Guo? Hindi po natin alam yan sapagkat ang katanungan ay kung nandito talaga sya,” said Garcia. 

(We’re still waiting for them to file. The question is, will Mayor Alice Gup come? We don’t know if she’s here in the Philippines.)

“Kung mag-file ba sila ng counter-affidavit may pirma ba siya? At the same time, napanumpaan ba sa isang notary publiko sapagkat kung ganiyang may mga issues surrounding kung nasaan siya sa kasalukuyan maaari bang ipaliwanag ng mga abogado?” he said. 

(And if they file, will she sign it and have it notarized?)

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.

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. —VAL, GMA Integrated News