The Ombudsman is open to investigate controversial Bamban Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, but the probe will have to go through procedures similar to other cases, and it will not be given preferential treatment.

In a phone interview on Sunday, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said while he can act on suspending the local executive, he indicated the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has yet to make a recommendation.

“There’s no such request for preventive suspension. There is nothing in the letter that he is requesting for preventive suspension,” Martires told Daily Tribune.

“Cases are all the same. We will not give priority to one case.”

Over the weekend, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. said the task force the DILG formed to look into Guo’s alleged business with the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in her town had already furnished the Ombudsman a copy of its fact-finding. 

Severe consequences

Citing “troubling findings of serious illegal acts that may have severe legal implications,” Abalos said they would defer to the Ombudsman’s decision on whether it will grant their request to slap Guo with a six-month preventive suspension.

The DILG does not have the power to directly suspend or dismiss local officials. The state vested such a power in the Ombudsman through a disciplinary authority under Section 21 of Republic Act 6770 or the Ombudsman Act of 1989. 

Martires confirmed that his office received the DILG’s “unsigned” fact-finding report. However, he asserted that they could not issue a preventive suspension order against Guo, which Abalos deemed would prevent any influence on the continuing investigations of their department and other agencies.

“We’re not bound by their task force [but] they could file a complaint if they like,” Martires said. 

Guo, who is suspected as a Chinese asset, is under scrutiny for her alleged link in the illegal POGO operations, alongside questions surrounding her identity as a Filipino citizen.

Senators have raised doubts regarding Guo’s background and citizenship status, pointing out the absence of official records to substantiate her claim as a Filipino.

The Commission on Elections, which disclosed that Guo only registered as a voter in 2018, has warned that the mayor may be charged with perjury once it is proven that the allegations against her are legitimate.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is also baffled by Guo’s origins, has already directed the Bureau of Immigration to thoroughly investigate the issue alongside the Senate.