The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Friday that it had canceled the passport of former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
The cancellation, which took effect on September 30, came after her biometrics matched those of a Chinese national, Guo Hua Ping, in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) files.
The DFA clarified that passports can be revoked if they were fraudulently obtained, tampered with, or issued by mistake.
“The DFA is committed to upholding the security and integrity of Philippine passports and assures the public that fraudulent applications and acquisitions of passports are referred to law enforcement for investigation and prosecution,” the DFA stated.
“The DFA enforces a Zero Tolerance Policy for individuals attempting to circumvent Philippine passport application and issuance procedures,” the agency added.
Back in August, the Palace had requested the cancellation of the passports of Alice Guo, her siblings Wesley and Sheila Guo, and POGO representative Cassandra Ong after they fled the country.
“One of the grounds for the cancellation of a Philippine passport is when a court orders its cancellation due to the holder being a fugitive from justice,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said at the time.
The Guo sisters and Ong were later arrested in Indonesia and deported back to the Philippines.