NBI files falsification, perjury raps vs Alice Guo, notary public

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday filed several more complaints against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo after it was found out that the signature on her notarized counter-affidavit was not really hers.

In a press conference, NBI Director Jaime Santiago said complaints of falsification by a notary public, use of falsified documents, perjury, and obstruction of justice were filed against Guo, Atty. Elmer Galicia, the lawyer who notarized her counter affidavit, and three others.

NBI Task Force Alice Guo head agent Palmer Mallari said the results of an examination showed that Guo did not sign her counter-affidavit, contrary to her testimony during a Senate hearing on September 17. 

Mallari said the NBI collected sample specimen signatures from original documents in Bamban as well as sample specimen signatures from the counter-affidavit, which was supposedly for Guo's qualified trafficking complaint. 

"After the examination… it was proven that the sample signatures appearing on those documents as compared to the supposed signature appearing on the counter-affidavit were actually not written by one and the same person," Mallari said.

“So basically, what this actually means is that iba po ang pumirma doon sa counter-affidavit,” he added. 

(What this actually means is that someone else signed the counter-affidavit.)

GMA News Online has sought comment from Guo's camp but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

Guo's counter-affidavit was filed days after the qualified trafficking complaint against her was submitted for resolution on August 6. It was notarized on August 14 in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan.

Galicia previously admitted that Guo did not personally swear before him, which was required by law.

Following the filing of complaints with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the NBI also filed a disbarment complaint against Galicia with the Supreme Court.

For his part, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla called on lawyers to follow the law.

"It is a message to our fellow lawyers that we should obey the law and if you are caught doing something it will be dealt with very severely," he said.

Guo, who is also believed to be Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, is facing a qualified human trafficking case before a Pasig court as well as a graft case before a Valenzuela court.

A quo warranto petition was also filed against Guo with a Manila court as well as a petition to cancel her birth certificate before a Tarlac court.

She is also facing a tax evasion complaint as well as 87 counts for money laundering before the Justice Department. —KBK, GMA Integrated News