Comelec to File Charges Against Alice Guo for Alleged Misrepresentation

October 23, 2024 Philippines Crime & Legal

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to file formal charges against dismissed Bamban Tarlac mayor Alice Guo on October 28, 2024.

Guo, who is believed to be a Chinese woman named Guo Hua Ping, is being accused of misrepresenting herself in her certificate of candidacy (COC) during the 2022 local elections. Guo did not submit a motion for reconsideration following the commission’s initial resolution, which was first done earlier this month, Comelec chairman George Garcia said in a press briefing.

“The Comelec will officially file information in the regional trial court of Tarlac, which means formal charges of misrepresentation for violating the Omnibus Election Code will be filed against her,” Garcia said in a press briefing.

Comelec to Pursue Charges Based on Omnibus Election Code Violations

Earlier, the Comelec issued a resolution adopting the law department’s recommendation to charge Guo under Section 74 in relation to Section 262 of the Omnibus Election Code, when it was revealed that the dismissed mayor’s fingerprints matched those of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping, based on National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) records.

For the Comelec, Guo falsely declared in her COC that she is a Filipino citizen and a resident of Bamban, Tarlac, when in reality, she is not. Alice Guo through her camp has contested this, asserting that she was a Filipino citizen.

“[This was] bolstered by the fact that she executed and notarized her COC under oath before a notary public, which serves as a formal acknowledgment that she affirmed the veracity of the entries contained therein,” read the resolution, released to the public on October 9.

Garcia also reiterated Comelec’s intention to file a motion to transfer the trial to a different regional trial court in Tarlac, citing concerns for the safety and security of all parties involved.

Alice Guo is currently detained in Pasig City jail’s female dormitory. She was previously held at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Facility but was transferred after her arrest by Indonesian authorities in September.

Guo was accused of faking her citizenship on top of her alleged involvement in the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator trade. A recent investigation uncovered connections between Alice Guo and a transnational scam enterprise involving cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering across Southeast Asia.