The Department of Foreign Affairs has canceled the Philippine passport of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, who is believed to be Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese passport holder.
In a statement on Friday, the DFA said it canceled Guo’s “fraudulently acquired” Philippine passport upon receipt of a certification from the Department of Justice regarding the National Bureau of Investigation’s report on the latter’s biometrics.
The fingerprint examination conducted by the NBI confirmed that Guo’s prints matched those of Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese passport holder.
“Upon receipt on 18 September 2024 from the Department of Justice of the certification issued by the National Bureau of Investigation dated 24 August 2024 that the biometrics of Alice Leal Guo in the passport database matched the biometrics of Guo Hua Ping in NBI files, the Department of Foreign Affairs canceled the Philippine passport issued under the identity of Alice Leal Guo,” the DFA said.
The cancellation of Guo’s Philippine passport became effective on 30 September due to violation of Section 10 (b) (4) of Republic Act 11983 or the New Philippine Passport Law. The section states that a passport may be denied or canceled, or restrictions may be imposed, “when a passport was acquired fraudulently, tampered with, or issued erroneously.”
“The DFA enforces a zero tolerance policy for unscrupulous individuals circumventing the Philippine passport application and issuance procedures,” it said.
The cancellation of Guo’s passport came after a week after international news channel Al Jazeera broadcast a documentary on She Zhijiang, an admitted Chinese spy who implicated Guo in espionage activities for China in the Philippines.
She, who is currently imprisoned in Thailand on human trafficking, forced labor, and gambling scam charges, showed a dossier on Guo Hua Ping whose picture resembled Alice Guo. The particulars of both women, such as date of birth, parents’ names, and time of arrival in the Philippines, matched.
Alice Guo denied the allegations during the House Quad Committee’s hearing into the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Bamban.
The former local chief executive, likewise, insisted on her Filipino citizenship.
Guo to run again
Guo, who is detained at the Pasig City jail, will again run for mayor of Bamban in next year’s elections, her lawyer, Stephen David, said.
This despite a ruling by the Office of the Ombudsman that dismissed Guo from office for grave misconduct that included a perpetual disqualification from holding public office. David said the ruling was not yet final and can be appealed.
“Of course to show her love for the people, most especially to Bamban. First and foremost if the people really want her they should be the one to judge if she really is qualified to serve the town because what happened is on technicalities that she is prevented from running and being sought for disqualification, but it is not yet final. There are many processes for it to be final,” David said.
“But definitely she will be running for mayor,” he added.
David was at the DoJ for the preliminary investigation of Guo’s money laundering case.
Guo wasn’t able to attend the DoJ proceeding for lack of a court clearance to leave custody, he said.
David also addressed questions about the Office of the Solicitor General’s attempt to cancel Guo’s birth certificate, dismissing it as a lengthy and complex process.
He said Guo remained a Filipino citizen with no court ruling to the contrary.
BI to resolve case of Shiela Guo
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is expected to resolve the deportation case against Shiela Guo, the supposed sister of Alice Guo within the month.
BI Board of Special Inquiry (BSI) Chairman Gilberto U. Repizo in an interview on Friday said that once the bureau receives the position paper from Guo’s lawyers “we might be using 15 days to resolve it.”
The BSI conducted a clarificatory hearing on the case that Shiela attended.
Repizo during the hearing Shiela, who is in the custody of the NBI, was told to submit her position paper within 10 days.
“Three days from now Shiela’s camp will be given seven days to submit the position paper,” he said.
Repizo said the findings and recommendations of the BSI will be submitted to the BI’s Board of Commissioners composed of Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado and Deputy Commissioners Daniel Laogan and Aldwin Alegre.
“It will be the Board of Commissioners that will make the final ruling,” he said.
On the other hand, the lawyer of Shiela Guo confirmed that she faced cases of disobedience to summons and violation of the New Passport Act before the Pasay Regional Trial Court.
Upon her return to the Philippines on 22 August after her capture in Indonesia, the BI charged Shiela for undesirability and misrepresentation as a Filipino national after being found in possession of a Chinese passport in the name of Zhang Mier.
Shiela is currently facing before the Pasay City court charges of disobedience to summons issued by the Senate in violation of Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code and for using a fake Philippine passport in violation of Section 22 of Republic Act 11983, the new Philippine Passport Act.
A money laundering case filed before the DoJ against her is also pending.