Resemblance to mayor brings vendor to public attention

An empanada vendor in Laoag City has caught the public eye for unconventional reasons - her uncanny resemblance to Alice Guo, the embattled mayor of Bamban, Tarlac who was suspended for graft charges.

A video of the vendor, Reyna Ruth Hagonos, 29, has gone viral online. It was posted by one of her frequent customers, Rolando Nacional.

"Nung bumili ako ng empanada dito sa tabi namin, nakita ko medyo kahawig pero hindi ko po vinideohan. Tinignan ko yung salamin, mahaba ang buhok tapos singkit ang mata, parang natuwa ako," Nacional said.

"Tapos yung pangalawang bili kong empanada, doon ako nagtangkang nag-video," he added.

(When I bought empanada near our place, I noticed the resemblance  but I didn’t take a video. I looked at the glasses, the long hair and her eyes, and I was delighted.

After I bought empanada a second time, I decided to take a video.)

Despite comparisons to the mayor, Hagonos maintains a light-hearted attitude. She said she would tell anyone who would call her Alice Guo to get one soft drink.

"Naiinis [ako], kaso lang sabi ko kapag may tumawag sa akin ng Alice Guo, isang Coke [dapat] nagbibigay sila," Hagonos said.

(At first I was bemused, so what I did was after someone called me 'Alice Guo', they should also buy a softdrink.)

The good news is that the attention has increased foot traffic to her empanada stall.

Guo figured in controversy after an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub was discovered in her town.

In June 2024, the Department of the Interior and Local Government filed graft charges against her with the Office of the Ombudsman, which led to her six months suspension.—GMA Regional TV News