Lawyer believes Alice Guo to answer accusations

The lawyer of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo said he trusts his client will properly answer the charges and accusations hurled against her.

At the same time, he appealed to the public to refrain from making "crude and malicious comments" against Guo who is accused of ties to criminal syndicates and money laundering.

"We trust that Alice L. Guo will demonstrate her courage and resilience in the face of adversity and in properly answering the charges and accusations against her," according to a statement released by Stephen David, Guo's counsel.

David stressed Guo is "innocent ...unless proven otherwise."

"Furthermore, as guaranteed by the 1987 Constitution, she deserves to be represented by a counsel of her choice and has the right to prove her innocence before the courts of law," he said.

"In relation to this, we respectfully urge the public to refrain from making crude and malicious comments and baseless accusations as all matters related to our client will be ventilated and answered in the proper forum and before courts of competent jurisdiction," David added.

Guo was arrested in Indonesia along with a Chinese monk and was helped by a former Chinese police officer during her escape from the Philippines, Indonesian authorities said.

Jakarta's law minister said Guo will be deported to the Philippines, but no other details were given.

David expressed relief for Guo's safe apprehension.

"This is a welcome development for us so that we can answer the allegations and issues thrown against her. As her counsel, we are deeply concerned about her health, safety, and security," he said.

"She may not know or realize it by now, but this recent event can be a good start for all her cases," he added.

He also said "rest assured that as officers of the court and as the counsel for Alice L. Guo, we strictly abide by our oath and the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability and demonstrate the highest respect for the law of the land."—LDF, GMA Integrated News