Motion to halt Alice Guo’s transfer to Pasig jail deemed ‘moot’— court

Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo will remain in the custody of Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory after a Pasig City court ruled that the motion for her to remain at the PNP Custodial Center was considered “moot.”

In the third order signed by Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 167 Presiding Judge Annielyn Medes-Cabelis, it was noted that the hearing on the urgent motion of Guo’s camp to transfer her detention to PNP Custodial because of the supposed threats to the dismissed mayor, was already canceled.

“Considering that Jocelyn B. Riño, Jail Inspector of the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory, sent a letter dated 23 September 2024 through this court’s official email, which the court received today at 12:08 P.M., stating that the accused Alice Leal Guo a.k.a. ‘Guo Hua Ping’ (accused ‘Guo’) was already committed at the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory, the Very Urgent Motion to Remain at the PNP Custodial Facility filed by accused Guo is considered as MOOT,” the order read.

“Consequently, the hearing of the subject motion is CANCELLED,” it added.

Earlier on Monday, the Pasig court ordered to hold in abeyance the transfer of the custody of Guo to the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory “to safeguard the rights of the accused-movant and so as not to deprive her of the remedies that are available to her under the Rules of Court.”

The former mayor was transferred to the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory from the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Monday morning.

However, Guo’s camp had been hoping that she would remain in the custody of the PNP due to security concerns.

Guo's transfer was ordered by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court-Branch 167, which is hearing her non-bailable case of qualified human trafficking.

She will be sharing the detention facility with 44 inmates. The facility, however, was only designed to accommodate nine detainees.

It was reported earlier that Guo's x-ray findings indicated that she had a possible lung infection.

Due to this, she was initially transferred to a cell for isolation with three inmates with tuberculosis.

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) spokesperson Jail Superintendent Jayrex Joseph later on said that Guo tested negative for tuberculosis and will return to a regular cell.  —RF, GMA Integrated News