September 4, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo has asked a Manila court to dismiss the quo warranto petition lodged against her by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
According to Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, the camp of Guo has filed a motion to dismiss the quo warranto petition and is currently awaiting resolution by the court.
Guevarra said the motion to dismiss was filed in August and the OSG immediately filed its comment opposing the motion.
“If her motion to dismiss is denied, she will be ordered to file her comment or answer to the petition for quo warranto. Thereafter, the court will conduct hearings and then render judgment,” he said.
In its 45-page petition for quo warranto, Guevarra sought the removal of Guo as Bamban mayor on the ground that she is a Chinese national and has misrepresented herself as a Filipino citizen “to advance her fraudulent schemes.”
It argued that Guo, named in the petition as Guo Hua Ping a.k.a Alice Leal Guo, is not a true Filipino citizen and is thus ineligible to be voted for and elected as Bamban mayor. Guo’s continuous discharge of duties of the Bamban mayoralty is “tantamount to usurpation of such office,” it added.
Guevarra earlier said that even though the Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of Guo as Bamban mayor, this will not render as moot and academic the quo warranto petition lodged against her.
He said that if the quo warranto petition is successful, it will make Guo ineligible to seek any government position in the future.
The successor of the Bamban mayorship will also be affected, whichever of the decision on the ombudsman dismissal or the quo warranto petition will first be finalized.
In early July, the OSG also filed a petition before a Tarlac trial court seeking to cancel Guo’s birth certificate on the grounds of her failure to comply with the legal requirements of late birth registration.
Guevarra said the petition will be heard by the court on Sept. 18.
Intel funds
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has vowed to scrutinize government agencies’ confidential fund requests following an intelligence failure that allowed Guo to escape the country.
“Our law enforcement agencies committed lapses when it comes to intelligence. Once we deliberate on their budgets for 2025, I will definitely ask these agencies how their intelligence funds are being spent and how they build an efficient intelligence network,” Gatchalian said.
The senator criticized law enforcers for allowing fugitive mayor Guo to slip past the country’s borders, despite standing warrants against her for snubbing the Senate inquiry on her alleged links to human trafficking and illegal offshore gaming activities.
Gatchalian cited the testimony of Guo’s sister Shiela that they were able to flee the country just by riding a boat.
President Marcos vowed that heads would roll, as he pointed at corrupt Bureau of Immigration personnel for being behind Guo’s escape.
“Whether there was collusion or a failure of intelligence, there should be accountability on this issue,” Gatchalian said. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab
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