The Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday described the recent court ruling against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo as a “major win” for the national government.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado said in a statement that the decision affirms the findings of immigration records and biometric data identifying her as a Chinese national.

“The Bureau has long initiated deportation proceedings against Guo. This court decision further cements our legal basis and supports the government’s ongoing efforts to protect our borders and institutions,” Viado said.

The Manila Regional Trial Court recently ruled that Guo is “undoubtedly Chinese,” nullifying her mayorship and declaring her ineligible to hold public office.

The ruling gives weight to the absence of Guo’s local civil registry records for her alleged Filipino parents, as well as fingerprint analysis by the National Bureau of Investigation confirming her identity as Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese citizen who arrived in the Philippines in 1999 under a Special Investors Resident Visa.

To date, Guo has been in detention for nearly 10 months. She is facing charges of qualified human trafficking, money laundering, and graft, all linked to her alleged involvement in a transnational criminal network that operated scam hubs in Bamban.