Alice Guo pleads 'not guilty' to graft before Valenzuela court

Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo on Friday pleaded not guilty to graft charges before a Valenzuela Regional Trial Court (RTC).

According to the Valenzuela Regional Branch 285 clerk of court Atty. Pascual Lacas Jr., Guo pleaded not guilty to the violation of Republic Act 3019 through a videoconference.

“Alice Guo pleaded not guilty to both cases filed against her… those cases are in connection with Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” he said in an interview.

“She was asked if she understands English well. She was also asked if it would be read in Tagalog but she prefers it to be read in English so it was read in English. So she pleaded in both cases as not guilty,” he later added.

The next hearing will be held on November 22 for presentation of evidence.

Guo's presence will no longer be required in the next hearing after she waived her right to be present in the presentation, according to the RTC.

In September, Guo posted bail in the amount of P540,000 before the court.

Despite this, she remains detained at the  Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory.

Guo, believed to be Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, is also facing a qualified human trafficking case before a Pasig 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.—VAL/AOL, GMA Integrated News