A Philippine court has ruled that Alice Guo – a former town mayor who rose to national infamy over her alleged ties to foreign criminal syndicates and questions about her true identity – was never qualified to hold office, declaring her “undoubtedly a Chinese citizen” who had “usurped” her post.
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The Manila Regional Trial Court ruled on Friday that Guo’s election and assumption of office in Bamban, Tarlac, from 2022 to 2024 were “null and void”. Agreeing with a petition by the Office of the Solicitor General, it asserted that Guo had never been a natural-born Filipino, as required under the constitution.
“Guo is nothing more than a usurper of the office of the mayor of Bamban, Tarlac. The fact that she won the election and has already assumed office is of no moment as it did not cure her disqualification of lack of Philippine citizenship,” it said.
“Guo Hua Ping is undoubtedly a Chinese citizen, born to Chinese parents, namely Guo Jian Zhong and Lin Wenyi,” the court said, adding that she and her parents held Chinese passports.
Guo was dismissed from public office after an anti-corruption court last August found her guilty of “grave misconduct” for her alleged ties to an offshore gaming operator in Bamban that authorities said was carrying out scam operations and human trafficking.
The former mayor fled the country in July following a warrant for her arrest due to her failure to attend a series of Senate hearings investigating criminal activity linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).