Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of material misrepresentation regarding her candidacy in the 2022 elections before a Tarlac court on Thursday.
Guo entered the plea before the Capas Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 66.
Atty. Nicole Jamila, one of Guo’s lawyers, confirmed that Guo attended the arraignment via video conference. “The accused was arraigned and she pleaded not guilty,” Jamila said.
In October, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) accused Guo of violating Section 74 of the Omnibus Election Code for filing her Certificate of Candidacy for mayor in the 2022 polls despite allegedly being a Chinese citizen.
Guo was dismissed from her position as mayor of Bamban in August. Jamila said they are posting bail for Guo by next week.
“This is a bailable offense, so that will be our priority. We plan to file for bail next week and are just gathering the necessary requirements,” she said.
In addition to the material misrepresentation case, Guo is facing a qualified human trafficking case before a Pasig City court and a graft case before a Valenzuela City court.
A quo warranto petition has also been filed against her in a Manila court, along with a petition to cancel her birth certificate in a Tarlac court.
Guo is also facing multiple charges, including tax evasion, 87 counts of money laundering, and complaints of perjury and falsification before the Department of Justice.
The former mayor has denied all the charges filed against her.