The Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 34 has ruled that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is “undoubtedly Chinese” and declared her mayorship void.
In a 67-page quo warranto decision, Judge Liwliwa S. Hidalgo-Bucu disclosed that Guo Hua Ping and Alice Guo are one and the same person.
To recall, during a Senate inquiry, Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed that the National Bureau of Investigation found that Guo Hua Ping and Alice Guo have the same fingerprints. The dismissed mayor’s legal counsel denied any relation between the two.
“Respondent Guo Hua Ping is undoubtedly a Chinese citizen, born to Chinese parents, namely Guo Jian Zhong and Lin Wenyi. She and her parents are holders of Chinese passports,” the decision read.
The court further explained that Guo’s Philippine passport is not considered “conclusive proof of citizenship,” similar to her birth certificate.
“The Certificate of Live Birth of Alice Leal Guo contains dubious entries, which are not supported by concrete and credible evidence,” the decision stated.
Guo’s arrest followed several accusations, including having a fake identity, being a Chinese spy and involvement in a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) syndicate. She had claimed to be a Filipino citizen and denied involvement in illegal POGO operations.
With the court’s decision on Guo’s citizenship, it concluded that she is disqualified from holding the position of Bamban mayor and was prevented from running for the position in the first place.
“Guo is nothing more but a usurper of the Office of the Mayor of Bamban, Tarlac. The fact that she won the election and has already assumed office is of no moment as it did not cure her disqualification of lack of Philippine citizenship,” the decision read.