Manila, Philippines – After nearly a year of dismissal for grave misconduct, the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 34 ruled to nullify the mayorship of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Leal Guo, deeming her ‘undoubtedly Chinese.’
According to a 67-page quo warranto decision presided over by Judge Liwliwa Bidalgo-Bucud on June 27, Guo Hua Ping and Alice Leal Guo are the same person based on a fingerprint examination.
As a result, she is deemed “nothing more but a usurper of the Office of the Mayor of Bamban, Tarlac. It follows, therefore, that her proclamation was deemed void.”
The decision comes after the Manila RTC granted a quo warranto filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), which sought to strip Guo of her post due to ineligibility to run for public office and voided her 2022 elections victory.
“Respondent Guo Hua Ping is undoubtedly a Chinese citizen, born to Chinese parents, namely Guo Jian Zhong and Lin Wenyi. She and her parents are holders of Chinese passports,” the ruling stated.
The court also clarified that Guo’s Philippine passport nor her birth certificate serves as conclusive proof of her citizenship.
In August 2024, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of Guo from her public position due to accusations related to her involvement in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) that also raised questions about her nationality, as there was no record of her birth hospital. —Pauline Salvaña, Contributor