Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia warned on Monday that Bamban Mayor Alice Guo could face perjury charges if she falsely identified herself as a Filipino citizen.

In an ambush interview following a Senate hearing, Garcia was asked about the possibility that Guo supplied forged paperwork that allowed her to run for mayor of the Tarlac municipality in the 2022 elections.

“If it is discovered that she is not a Filipino citizen, she may be held accountable or face perjury charges,” Garcia said in Filipino.

The Comelec chief said aspiring candidates need only present a certificate of candidacy (CoC) stating that they are Filipino nationals.

The commission assumes that prospective candidates’ declarations are correct unless a registered voter files a complaint for disqualification or cancellation of candidature, he said.

Senator Risa Hontiveros had previously questioned Guo’s credentials, saying the mayor lacked formal papers proving her Filipino citizenship. She also asked if the official was a Chinese citizen.

At a press conference the day following a Senate inquiry into the raid on the Philippine offshore gambling operator facility in Bamban, Hontiveros said Guo lied when she denied any link to a gambling firm.

According to Hontiveros, Guo’s name surfaced only during the 2022 elections and she had no hospital or school records in the Philippines.