Alice Guo’s Philippine passport —BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION PHOTO
The Division of Overseas Affairs (DFA) has canceled the Philippine passport of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo after investigations confirmed that it was “fraudulently acquired.”
The DFA on Friday mentioned that primarily based on the certification issued by the Nationwide Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Aug. 24, the biometric information of Guo within the company’s passport database matched these of “Guo Hua Ping,” a Chinese language nationwide. The cancellation took impact on Sept. 30.
“The DFA is dedicated to upholding the safety and integrity of issuing Philippine passports and assures the general public that fraudulent software and acquisition of passports are referred to legislation enforcement companies for investigation and prosecution,” the DFA mentioned in an announcement.
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“The DFA enforces zero tolerance coverage for unscrupulous people circumventing the Philippine passport software and issuance procedures,” the company added.
The Workplace of the Ombudsman earlier dismissed Guo from authorities service and perpetually disqualified her from holding public workplace for grave misconduct attributable to her alleged involvement within the operations of a raided Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) in her city.
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COC submitting
This growth got here as Stephen David, Guo’s lawyer, advised reporters that the previous official will “undoubtedly” run for mayor of Bamban within the 2025 elections. Guo is detained within the Pasig Metropolis Jail for a certified human trafficking cost.
In accordance with David, Guo is assured that her authorized battles won’t hinder her probabilities of regaining her seat in Bamban.
READ: TIMELINE: The place did she ‘Guo’? Alice Guo’s story and escape
Guo, he mentioned, will file her certificates of candidacy (COC) on Oct. 8, the final day of submitting for nationwide and native candidates taking part in subsequent 12 months’s polls. The lawyer, nevertheless, mentioned Guo’s camp had but to determine on how the COC can be filed.
“Proper now, there’s a number of unfavourable publicity, many are sympathizing, however she has additionally carried out good issues for the city of Bamban. There are nonetheless many who love her,” David mentioned.
READ: Alice Guo, over 30 others sued for cash laundering
Guo can be dealing with a case filed by the Workplace of the Solicitor Common earlier than the Tarlac Regional Trial Court docket in search of to cancel her delivery certificates.
Biometric proof
However David mentioned: “It’s an extended course of. Will it’s canceled? She is a Filipina. There’s no court docket, as of now, that has dominated that she’s not Filipino.”
A minimum of three senators on Friday conceded that the Fee on Elections (Comelec) is “constrained” to just accept Guo’s COC, however they reminded the ballot physique of its responsibility to cease foreigners pretending to be Filipinos from becoming a member of the nation’s electoral course of.
Sen. Joel Villanueva mentioned the NBI and different state companies had introduced biometric proof supposedly proving that Guo’s actual identification is “Guo Hua Ping,” a Chinese language who entered the nation in 2003.
Villanueva additionally famous that the Comelec had already filed a case for materials misrepresentation towards Guo for working for public workplace in 2022.
“It might be ridiculous if she would nonetheless be allowed to run once more,” he advised reporters in a Viber message on Friday.
“You can’t deny that ‘Guo Hua Ping’ is a pretend Filipino who used a pretend delivery certificates … Guo and her Pogo sponsors are mocking and disrespecting our legal guidelines.” Villanueva added.
Senate President Professional Tempore Jinggoy Estrada mentioned the Comelec should be certain that each candidate taking part within the 2025 midterm elections would adjust to the necessities for these in search of elective posts.
“[The Comelec] ought to guarantee that no voters will probably be fooled by candidates who lack {qualifications},” Estrada mentioned.
Senate Minority Chief Aquilino Pimentel III, a lawyer, agreed that Guo may nonetheless be allowed to run since her felony instances, together with the problem over her citizenship, had been nonetheless pending in courts.
Responsibility-bound
“[But her] current felony instances can be utilized as political points [against her] throughout the marketing campaign,” Pimentel mentioned.
Guo, who fled the nation on July 18 and was arrested in Indonesia on Sept. 4, can be dealing with prices of graft and corruption, cash laundering and tax evasion, amongst others.
The Comelec mentioned it was duty-bound to just accept COCs filed by political aspirants.
“The responsibility of the Comelec is merely to obtain the COC, simply so long as the shape is full, correctly completed, notarized and with documentary stamp. We don’t have the discretion of rejecting the submitting of a COC,” Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia mentioned in a tv interview on Friday.
Nonetheless, whether or not the title of any aspirant will seem on the official poll is a unique matter, he mentioned.
Clarifying that his remark was not directed at any particular candidate, Garcia mentioned any candidate, upon petition by a 3rd get together or by Comelec appearing motu proprio (by itself), could also be declared a nuisance candidate or could also be disqualified for different causes below the legislation.
The Comelec, he mentioned, may additionally cancel the COC of a candidate whom the Ombudsman had penalized administratively, together with being disqualified from holding any public workplace.
Garcia mentioned such disqualification, even when appealed, is straight away executory except restrained by the next tribunal, such because the Court docket of Appeals.
“Now we have a decision [in Comelec] stating that the choice of the Ombudsman in administrative instances is straight away executory though it might be topic to attraction and never but remaining. That’s the reason the Comelec, in compliance with the legislation and in recognition of the powers of the Workplace of the Ombudsman, will instantly implement the [penalty of perpetual disqualification],” he mentioned.
Any candidate charged with a criminal offense stays eligible to run for public workplace till there may be remaining judgment or conviction, Garcia mentioned in a separate radio interview.
“Till there may be conviction, even when [the candidate] is behind bars, he can run, extra so when his case continues to be on attraction. Once more, we’ve got no alternative however to just accept everybody’s COC. Our responsibility is ministerial for the meantime, our discretion comes later,” he mentioned.
Authorized battle
Solicitor Common Menardo Guevarra additionally mentioned that Guo may nonetheless file her COC since not one of the instances towards her had attained finality.
“The Comelec is duty-bound to just accept Guo’s certificates of candidacy, except it later disqualifies Guo for some legitimate purpose. In the end although, it’s the citizens who will determine if Alice Guo deserves to carry public workplace,” Guevarra mentioned in a textual content message despatched to reporters on Friday.
David mentioned they filed a movement for reconsideration on the Ombudsman’s choice to dismiss Guo and had been ready to exhaust their authorized treatment as much as the Supreme Court docket.
“She must run to actually present her love for the individuals, particularly for Bamban. If the individuals there actually need her, they need to be those to evaluate; the individuals ought to determine whether or not she is worthy to carry workplace of their space. What’s taking place is simply technicalities—she’s not being allowed to run, she’s being disqualified. However that’s not remaining but,” David mentioned.
When requested, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla mentioned the DOJ would oppose Guo’s candidacy.
“I wouldn’t say it’s her proper however she will strive. I wouldn’t say it’s her proper as a result of she’s not Filipino and he or she bears falsified paperwork,” Remulla advised reporters.
In the meantime, Guo’s eight coaccused within the human trafficking case had been transferred to the Pasig Metropolis Jail from the Tarlac Provincial Jail on Thursday.
Jail Superintendent Jayrex Bustinera, spokesperson for the Bureau of Jail Administration and Penology, recognized the coaccused as Walter Wong Lengthy, Shicong Zhang, Huang Yue Hai, Ma The Pong, Wang Weili, Wuli Dong, Nong Ding Chang and Lang Xu Po. —WITH A REPORT FROM NESTOR CORRALES INQ
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