Ombudsman orders dismissal of Alice Guo from service

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo for grave misconduct.

In a 25-page decision, the Ombudsman dismissed Guo from service with forfeiture of all her retirement benefits as well as perpetual disqualification from public office.

According to the Ombudsman, Guo’s acts such as her involvement in the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in her locality showed a “willful intent on her part to violate the law or disregard established rules.”

“The series of acts are interconnected leaving no other conclusion than that they were committed by Guo with ulterior motive or self-interest,” the decision said.

This was based on the complaint filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government accusing Guo and other local officials of committing grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

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

The Ombudsman noted that the alleged Deed of Assignment of Shares of Stock executed by Guo was inexistent.

“Needless to stress, when respondent Guo started to discharge her duties and responsibilities as Municipal Mayor, she remained to be the real, true, and actual President of Baofu Land Development, Inc., and stands to benefit from the continued operations of Hongsheng and Zun Yuan.”

Zun Yuan Technology, previously called Hongsheng, was the POGO entity raided in March. It is located inside the Baofu Land Development Inc. compound behind the Bamban Municipal Hall.

“This is a clear conflict of interest. The element of corruption, willful intent to violate the law, and to disregard established rules are all quite evident,” the Ombudsman said.

Aside from this, the Ombudsman said that Guo cannot feign ignorance of the illegal operations of the POGO hub, noting that she did nothing to investigate its activities that led to the raid.

It said Guo also issued the business permits of the POGO despite its failure to acquire a fire safety inspection certificate.

According to the Ombudsman, it was also revealed that Guo instructed that a Letter of No Objection must be passed by the Sanggunian in favor of the POGO hub.

“From the very start, the actions of Guo were clear enough to demonstrate her design to further her business concerns in Bamban, Tarlac,” it said.

“Guo’s purchase of individual agricultural lots and consolidating and having them reclassified as residential and commercial lots; to the formation of Baofu, Hongsheng, and Zun Yuan; to throwing her hat in the Mayoralty race, all point to the fact that she carefully planned, orchestrated, and masterminded the POGO operations,” it added.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday also served a subpoena against Alice Guo in relation to the material misrepresentation complaint filed against her.

Comelec representatives visited the address indicated on Guo’s certificate of candidacy as well as her office in Bamban to serve the document as part of the  preliminary investigation on her case. 

Aside from this, Guo is facing a human trafficking complaint in relation to the raided POGO hub before the Department of Justice. She was referred to as “a.k.a Guo Hua Ping” in the complaint.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has confirmed that Guo and Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping have the same fingerprints.

A petition seeking to remove Alice Guo from office was also filed before a Manila court.

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said the quo warranto petition will proceed as Guo may still appeal the Ombudsman’s decision.

“The quo warranto petition, if successful, will make Guo Hua Ping (a.k.a. Alice Guo) ineligible to run for any elective public position in the future,” he said in a message to reporters.

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman found Bamban Vice Mayor Leonardo Anunciacion,  Bamban Business Permit and Licensing Office officer Edwin Camp, Adenn Sigua, Johny Sales, Jayson Galang, Nikko Ballio, Ernesto Salting, Jose Salting Jr., Robin Mangiliman, Jose Aguilar, Mary Lacsamana, and Rainier Rivera guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.

They were suspended for three months.

The Ombudsman said in the event that the penalty can no longer be imposed, the dismissal shall be converted into fine in the amount equivalent to Guo’s one-year salary.

Meanwhile, the suspension shall be converted into fine in the amount equivalent to the three-month salaries of the respondents, payable to the Ombudsman, and may be deductible from their retirement benefits, accrued credits, or any receivable from his or her office.

The Ombudsman dismissed the complaint against the other respondents.—RF, GMA Integrated News