A notary public has asserted that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo personally appeared before him on 14 August to sign her counter-affidavit that was to be submitted to the Department of Justice (DoJ).

Lawyer Elmer Galicia made an unexpected appearance at the DoJ on Tuesday amid the ongoing qualified human trafficking case involving Guo and others.

Galicia was accompanied by Bulacan Provincial Prosecutor Sonny Ocampo and Caloocan City Prosecutor Darwin Cañete. Galicia’s notarial office is located in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Ocampo said Galicia and Guo met on 14 August during which Guo presented a driver’s license and Galicia notarized the counter-affidavit that was to be submitted to the DoJ in connection with the preliminary investigation into the human trafficking case.

‘If there is any effort on the part of the PNP that we can provide, then the PNP is willing.’

Cañete backed Ocampo’s account, say that Galicia mentioned that Guo and her entourage remained in their vehicle throughout the notarization process. Galicia reportedly used Guo’s driver’s license to confirm her identity and did not charge a fee for his services.

Cañete said that Galicia plans to file an affidavit detailing the events of 14 August.

Guo, who is under an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO), fled the country on 18 July through unofficial channels, according to Senator Risa Hontiveros.

Hontiveros said Guo traveled to Malaysia before moving to Singapore, where she reportedly met her father, Guo Jian Zhong; her mother, Lin Wen Yi; her brother, Wesley Ong; and Cassandra Ong.

PNP to go through diplomatic channels

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said it must go through diplomatic channels to bring Guo back if she had left the country.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the police could coordinate with police attachés in the countries where Guo was tracked.

“If there is any effort on the part of the PNP that we can provide, then the PNP is willing. However, if she has already left the country, we will need to go through diplomatic channels to address the possibility of bringing her back,” Fajardo said in a press conference.