Comelec welcomes ruling vs. Alice Guo, reiterates ministerial duty in accepting COCs

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Comelec welcomes ruling vs. Alice Guo, reiterates ministerial duty in accepting COCs

Johnson Manabat,

ABS-CBN News

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Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo reacts as the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality presents a portion of a conversation with Wang Fugui, who claimed that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is a spy, during a hearing in Pasay City on October 8, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/FileDismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo reacts as the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality presents a portion of a conversation with Wang Fugui, who claimed that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is a spy, during a hearing in Pasay City on October 8, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday welcomed the decision of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 34, granting an instant quo warranto petition of the Office of the Solicitor General against Alice Guo for being a Chinese national. 

Under the petition, Guo's appointment and entire mayoral term is also declared void.

In the decision dated June 27, Friday, under presiding judge Liwliwa Bidalgo-Bucu, the court said Chinese citizen Guo Hua Ping and Alice Leal Guo are the same person.

According to Comelec chairman George Garcia, Guo was able to run and become mayor of Bamban, Tarlac because nobody questioned her certificate of candidacy (COC).

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"Yun po ang nangyari sa Bamban, Tarlac. Nakapag-parehistro bilang botante, walang nagkuwestiyon. Nag-file ng kandidatura, walang nag-oppose," Garcia said in an ambush interview. "Walang nag-file ng petition, na-elect, nanalo, naproklama 'yung mismong kandidato."

Garcia emphasized that the duty of Comelec is just ministerial in accepting COCs of all candidates. 

"Ang duty ng Comelec to accept certificates of candidacy ay purely ministerial. So long as complete ang form at ito'y notaryado ay nabayad ng documentary stamp ay amin pong dapat tanggapin. Hindi namin puwedeng i-judge na ang isang tao ay foreigner dahil lang sa itsura,” Garcia said. 

According to Garcia, this particular case of Guo should serve as a challenge and lesson to everyone to be more vigilant to question candidates with questionable credentials or qualifications. 

"That's the reason why, nakaligtas yung mismong kandidatong yun. Nakatakbo, nanalo, naging mayor… Ano na lang ang remedy? Dapat sana, pagkatapos ng election, sampung araw pagkatapos ng eleksyon, pwede mag-file ng election protest 'yung natalo. O kung hindi naman, petition for quo warranto doon mismo sa RTC ng Tarlac," he said.

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However, the commission cannot act on its own or file a petition against a candidate with questionable citizenship, Garcia explained. Instead, it is the duty and responsibility of any registered voter to file a petition before the commission.

Guo has been in jail since September 2024.

The Department of Justice filed a qualified human trafficking case against her at the Pasig City Regional Trial Court.

Also on Monday, Senator Risa Hontiveros welcomed the ruling on Guo, though she stressed that authorities and the public should still be on alert.

"Hinding-hindi pa tapos ang problema sa POGO. Kaya I believe the PNP and the other law enforcement agencies should remain on high alert dahil hindi po talaga natitigil yung mga ulat ng mga krimen na nagpapatuloy na mukhang at lumilinaw, kakabit pa rin sa dating POGO network," she said.

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Hontiveros, as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, led last year’s hearings on the identity of Guo and her connection to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO). 

The senator revealed then that the real name of Guo is Guo Hua Ping.

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