Credits: Manila Standard
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has filed a Quo Warranto petition in a Manila court, questioning the eligibility of suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo to hold her position.
The petition follows an investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which revealed questions about Guo’s citizenship and identity. The NBI indicated that Guo and Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, who entered the Philippines in January 2003, may be the same person. Under the 1987 Constitution, Filipino citizenship is required to hold public office.
In a statement, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra asserted that Guo is unlawfully holding her position and illegally performing the duties of the Bamban mayor. “She is not a Filipino citizen, she is a Chinese national thus, she is ineligible to run for any elective public office,” Guevarra said.
The OSG’s petition also claims that Guo has committed acts warranting the forfeiture of her office. “More specifically, she has committed acts of serious dishonesty which, under the Local Government Code, warrant her removal from office,” Guevarra added.
The OSG has listed several witnesses to support its case, including:
– Commission on Elections Director Efraim Bag-id
– Bureau of Immigration Certification and Clearance Acting Chief Vincent Uncad
– BI Alien Registration Division Chief Jose Carlitos Licas
– NBI Dactyloscopy Division Chief Alfredo Kahanding
– Philippine Statistics Authority Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande
– Department of Foreign Affairs Acting Director of Office of the Consular Affairs – Passport Division Von Ryan Pangwi
Key documents to be presented include Guo’s voter’s certification and Certificate of Candidacy, as well as Guo Hua Ping’s Alien Certificate of Registration.
In its petition, the OSG seeks to have Guo ousted from her position and her proclamation as mayor declared “null and void.” The OSG emphasized the importance of maintaining the citizenship requirement for elective public office, stating that public officers must conduct themselves with utmost integrity and honesty.
Guo was previously placed on preventive suspension for up to six months by the Office of the Ombudsman in June, following graft complaints related to alleged illegal activities at a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator complex in Bamban.
Guo has denied the allegations and insisted that she is a Filipino citizen. Her lawyer has stated that the NBI’s findings have yet to be validated by a court.
Under the Rules of Court, the solicitor general may initiate a quo warranto petition against government officials suspected of unlawfully holding office or committing acts that could warrant forfeiture of office.