Credits: ABS-CBN
Bamban, Tarlac — The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is compiling evidence for a quo warranto petition against suspended Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac, which is expected to be filed within the next two weeks. A critical fingerprint discovery suggesting Guo’s Chinese nationality has been deemed a “breakthrough,” according to Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra.
In an interview on TeleRadyo Serbisyo on Monday, Guevarra explained that a quo warranto petition, which is an exclusive power of the Solicitor General, is used to remove a public official deemed to be unlawfully holding their position due to disqualification or ineligibility.
“There are claims that she is not Filipino, which means she should not have been allowed to run or hold a public office,” Guevarra said. The Solicitor General’s office has been closely monitoring Guo’s case and is now advancing the quo warranto petition following new evidence.
The breakthrough in the case came from the National Bureau of Investigation’s discovery that the fingerprints of Alice Guo matched those of Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese national who entered the Philippines in 2003. “This evidence is much stronger compared to when we did not have such proof,” Guevarra stated.
In addition to the quo warranto case, Guevarra mentioned that another petition is being prepared and will be filed this week, though he did not disclose details for “security reasons.”
The unfolding case against Guo underscores the complexities surrounding eligibility and nationality issues in Philippine public office, as well as the ongoing efforts of the OSG to ensure that public officials meet the necessary qualifications to hold office.
