Legal Counsel Silent on Mayor Alice Guo’s Nationality Probe

The legal counsel of suspended town mayor Alice Guo declined to comment on recent investigation developments regarding her nationality until verifying the accuracy of documents presented by law enforcement authorities.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recently confirmed that the mayor’s fingerprints matched those of Guo Hua Ping, who entered the Philippines as a teenager using a Chinese passport.

Atty. Stephen David stated that they have yet to authenticate the documents used by the NBI to reach this conclusion.

“I, myself, am surprised. Can documents like that still be retrieved?” he told Teleradyo Serbisyo on Wednesday night. “So, I reserve my right to accuracy. I can’t say that it’s accurate because it’s been about 30 years, 20 years, 25 years, saying she was only 13 years old then,” David added.

David acknowledged that he was initially set to defend Guo solely on the issue of an alleged illegal offshore gaming hub in her town, but accusations against Guo have grown.

Despite these developments, he noted that their team is preparing to defend Guo and that it’s premature to comment further until they’ve reviewed all the documents and evidence against her.

“Right now, it’s premature to comment. I’m not saying it’s genuine. I’m not saying it’s fake either. I’m not in a position to comment. We have a process to validate the execution and authenticity of such documents,” David said.

Earlier, the heads of the NBI and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) met to discuss a potential election offense case against Guo.

Garcia previously mentioned that the Comelec is preparing a case against Guo for allegedly misrepresenting herself as a Filipino citizen when filing her certificate of candidacy for the 2022 mayoralty race.

Guo maintains she is Filipino, denying allegations of being a Chinese spy or having ties to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

Guo denies being a Chinese spy: ‘I am a Filipino; I love my country.

Mayor Alice Guo insists she is not Hua Ping Guo.

The NBI also reported finding another “Alice Leal Guo,” who applied for an NBI clearance in 2005.

NBI director Jaime Santiago clarified this was a separate NBI clearance from what Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo applied for in 2021, and from Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, recorded in 2006.

NBI findings on Guo prove ‘fake Filipino’ ran for office, says senator

Guo’s brother, Wesley Leal Guo, was also identified as Chinese, with his real name being Guo Xiang Dian. This was revealed by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, based on fingerprint matching by the NBI using biometric records and records from the Board of Investments (BOI).

Original Story by: ABSCBNNEWS