The Department of Justice (DoJ) clarified on Saturday that the discovery by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of matching fingerprints between Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping will not affect the ongoing cases against her.
Justice Assistant Secretary Atty. Mico Clavano pointed out that criminal charges have already been filed against Mayor Guo, and rumors about her alleged use of a false identity will not affect these cases.
Senator Risa Hontiveros recently disclosed information from the NBI confirming that Mayor Guo and Guo Hua Ping are the same, based on their fingerprint comparison.
“In fact, she may face additional charges if it is proven that she is using a stolen identity,” Clavano stated.
Hontiveros previously presented another NBI document showing a photograph of a different woman bearing the name Alice Leal Guo.
Mayor Guo, along with other figures linked to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Bamban, is currently facing charges of human trafficking. Additionally, she is confronted with graft charges filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Her legal representatives have submitted a letter to the Office of the Executive Secretary to present her side amid various accusations, including alleged ties to BAOFU Land Development Inc., espionage, human trafficking, kidnapping and money laundering.
Clavano highlighted that Mayor Guo cannot be deported while facing criminal cases in the Philippines, which serves as a legal impediment to her deportation.
The Commission on Elections indicated that a potential election offense case looms for suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, as confirmed by Comelec chairperson George Garcia in an interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE on Saturday.
Garcia noted that the Comelec will await the outcomes of investigations by the Senate and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
“We will wait for the results of the Senate investigation and the case with the OSG,” Garcia stated.