(UPDATES) DISMISSED Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo plans to run for her old post in next year’s elections, her lawyer said in a TV interview. Guo’s decision came after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier this week said it does not have the authority to cancel her certificate of candidacy (CoC). “Of course, her love for Bamban, her love for her town … why not let the people decide if she wants to run? Anyway, if she does not want, she’s not winning,” Guo’s lawyer Stephen David said in Filipino. The Ombudsman removed Guo from office after she was charged with involvement in illegal Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) in the Tarlac town. However, her camp is awaiting the decision if she will be perpetually disqualified from public office. Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Thursday called on the Filipino people to be wary of Guo’s plan to seek reelection. “I certainly hope that there will not be another ‘Alice Guo’ running for public office in 2025. This is a huge insult to our institutions that there’s a foreigner that became a mayor of a Philippine town,” she wrote on her social media post on Thursday. “This should not happen.” “Comelec and the public must remain vigilant. POGO syndicates are very much able and willing to fund political campaigns of individuals who can protect their interests,” she said. Hontiveros suggested reviewing existing laws against candidates who lie about their qualifications for public office. “And for candidates who are faking their credentials: You will be caught. Do not aspire to be another Alice Guo. You will be held accountable by the law,” she said. Guo, who was Bamban mayor from June 30, 2022 until her dismissal on August 13, is detained in Camp Crame after attempting to evade arrest by fleeing to Indonesia.
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