An investigation into the human trafficking complaint against suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo will be pursued by the Department of Justice (DoJ) despite her camp insisting they will only address the matter in court.

Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said whether or not Guo’s camp submits a counter-affidavit, the case can still be filed in court.

“The case might prosper because there is no chance their camp can deny the allegation; if you will not say something it’s difficult, you are guilty as charged,” he said. The investigating body will examine if the complaint has substance.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, suggested possible lapses in the laws and regulations of government agencies.

Hontiveros said the recommendation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to run after Guo for allegedly committing material representation in her candidacy in the 2022 national and local elections only affirmed that there were “various lapses in the laws and regulations of many institutional systems,” from the Philippine Statistics Authority to the Comelec.

Not surprising

She said the revelation of the National Bureau of Investigation that Guo’s fingerprints matched those of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping was no longer surprising.

“However, it is still horrifying that a Chinese national became a town mayor in the Philippines,” she said.