Comelec files material misrepresentation raps vs Alice Guo

The Commision on Elections (Comelec) formally filed charges against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo for allegedly committing material misrepresentation in her candidacy in the 2022 elections.

In an information filed October 26, the Comelec accused Guo of violating Section 74 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) when she filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) for mayor in the 2022 polls despite being a Chinese citizen.

"That on or about October 1, 2021, and during the period for the filing of Certificates of Candidacy in connection with the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections in the Municipality of Bamban, Province of Tarlac, and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the accused Alice Leal Guo/Hua Ping Lin Guo, did then and there, willfully and unlawfully, commit material misrepresentation by filing her COC for the position of Mayor of the Municipality of Bamban, Province of Tarlac, and declaring under oath that she is eligible for the position she seeks to be elected, when in truth and in fact, she is a Chinese citizen and a resident of Fujian, China,” the poll body said.

The charges were filed before the Tarlac Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Last week, Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the poll body will formally file charges against Guo after her camp failed to submit a motion for reconsideration against an earlier resolution, wherein the Comelec en banc adopted the  recommendation of its law department to file information against the dismissed mayor before an RTC for violating Section 74 of the OEC in relation to Section 262. 

Garcia also said the poll body will file a motion with the Tarlac RTC to transfer the venue of Guo’s trial.

“Hindi po ito dahil wala tayong tiwala sa ating korte. Sobra po ang pagtitiwala ng Comelec sa ating hudikatura, sa mga huwes. Subalit siyempre po, tatandaan natin na nandoon tayo sa isang lugar na 'yun mismong safety at security ng witnesses at mga lawyers natin ay atin din pong pinoprotektahan,” he said earlier.

(This isn't because we don't trust our courts. The Comelec fully trusts in our judiciary, in our judges. However, of course, we should remember that we are in a place where the safety and security of our witnesses and lawyers are also our responsibility to protect.)

Guo is facing charges for graft, qualified human trafficking, money laundering, and tax evasion for her alleged involvement in the Philippines Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in her town.

Guo was dismissed from her post as Bamban mayor in August.

The Department of Foreign Affairs canceled Guo's Philippine passport after it was discovered that her biometrics match those of Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping in the files of the National Bureau of Investigation.

Guo expressed her intention to run for the 2025 midterm elections but later announced her withdrawal from the mayoral race in Bamban. —RF, GMA Integrated News