FILE PHOTO: Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia. INQUIRER / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing to formally file charges against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo (real name: Guo Hua Ping) on Monday, October 28 for alleged material misrepresentation on her certificate of candidacy (COC) in the 2022 local elections.
According to Comelec Chairman George Garcia, they did not receive a motion for reconsideration from Guo when they first issued the resolution.
“Ang Comelec po ay opisyal nang magfa-file ng information o impormasyon sa regional trial court ng Tarlac. Ibig sabihin po niyan, pormal na po namin siyang kakasuhan ng misrepresentation, violation ng Omnibus Election Code,” Garcia said in a ambush interview on Wednesday.
(The Comelec will officially file information in the regional trial court of Tarlac. It means that we will formally file charges on misrepresentation against her, violation of the Omnibus Election Code.)
“Sapagkat wala pong natanggap ang aming law department ng motion for reconsideration sa naging unang resolusyon ng Komisyon na siya ay kasuhan ng misrepresentation,” Garcia added.
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(Our law department did not receive any motion for reconsideration from the first resolution by the Comelec stating that we will be charged with misrepresentation.)
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READ: Comelec to file charges vs Alice Guo
Comelec previously released a resolution adopting the recommendation of its law department to file information against Guo “for violation of Section 74 in relation Section 262 of the Omnibus Election Code.”
The poll body in its previous investigation found out that the fingerprints of Guo in their voting records and the fingerprints of a Chinese woman named Guo Hua Ping in the National Bureau of Investigation matched.
The law department noted that Guo declared in her COC “that she is a Filipino citizen and a resident of Bamban, Tarlac, when in truth and in fact, she is not.”
Further, Garcia said that they will file a motion before the regional trial court in Tarlac for a request to transfer her trial.
“Upang maprotektahan yung safety, security ng lahat and at the same time, mas magiging maayos po kasi… At least andito na rin naman po yung akusado dahil yung akusado ay in custody,” Garcia stated.
(To protect the safety and security of everyone and at the same time, it will be more orderly… At least, the accused is here because the accused is under custody.)
Guo is currently detained in the female dormitory of the Pasig City jail. She was transferred from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Facility following her arrest by Indonesian authorities in September.
READ: After Alice Guo mess, Comelec to publish COCs, Conas for the first time
Guo is currently facing complaints for graft, qualified human trafficking, money laundering, and tax evasion and is being investigated by the Congress for her alleged ties to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos).
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Meanwhile, the poll body said that they will be publishing COCs and certificates of nomination and acceptance for the 2025 polls for the first time to prevent another case of Guo who sought and won mayoral seat despite having alleged false information in her COC.
